Pomegranate chicken with fennel, feta & watermelon

• SERVES 4 •

Every ingredient in this salad is delicious in its own right, but when thrown together on a plate they sing and dance and carry on like a bunch of ladies on a girls’ night out. This is a cool, fresh summery salad, easy to make and devour with friends.

2 plump skinless chicken breast fillets

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, plus extra, for serving

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

½ small seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into triangles

½ red onion, thinly sliced

½ fennel bulb, thinly shaved

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 lemon, halved, for squeezing

20 small mint leaves

180 g (6¼ oz) Persian feta cheese, crumbled

1 small fresh pomegranate

PREHEAT the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

RUB the chicken breasts with the pomegranate molasses, grapeseed oil and some salt and pepper.

BAKE the chicken on the prepared tray, covered with foil, for 20–25 minutes until cooked all the way through. Allow to cool and slice thinly.

ARRANGE the watermelon, onion and fennel with the chicken on a large platter, drizzle with olive oil and squeeze lemon juice over.

SCATTER with mint leaves, crumbled feta and fresh pomegranate seeds. Put extra pomegranate molasses on the table for guests to drizzle over if they wish.

HOW TO PREPARE A POMEGRANATE

Cut 1 cm (⅜ inch) off the top and bottom of the pomegranate to expose the seeds and white pith. Slice down through the membrane to create 4–5 segments. Gently pry sections apart and turn each segment inside out over a bowl to catch the seeds. If some won’t come out, gently tap the skin with a wooden spoon to help release the seeds. Discard any skin and white pith.