Shredded Chicken with Lemon Yogurt & Herby Lentils

Ingredients

• 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 500g cooked puy lentils
• 100g baby spinach
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 15g parsley, finely chopped
• 15g dill, finely chopped
• 220g Greek yogurt
• 15g mint, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Crusty bread, to serve
• Dressed green salad, to serve
• Crusty bread, to serve
• Dressed green salad, to serve

Method

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry — water means steam, and steam means no browning. Season generously with salt, pepper and the smoked paprika, working it in on both sides.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the thighs in two batches — don't crowd the pan, or they'll boil in their own juice instead of catching colour. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side until deeply golden; they'll release from the pan cleanly when the crust has formed. As they sear, the paprika will bloom into the hot oil and turn fragrant — that's the spice waking up.
3. Transfer the chicken to a board to rest. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, drop in the shallots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, scraping up any paprika fond stuck to the base — that's where the flavour lives. Stir in the grated garlic for the final 30 seconds, just until fragrant and pale gold. Don't let it burn — burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter.
4. Tip both the puy and green lentils into the pan with half the lemon juice and a generous splash of water. Warm them through gently for 2 to 3 minutes, turning them through the shallot oil until glossy and seasoned by the pan.
5. Fold in the spinach, spring onions, parsley and dill off the heat. The spinach wilts in the residual warmth while the herbs stay vivid green — the lentils want to be loose and herby, not dry. Taste, season with salt and pepper, taste again. Adjust now, not at the table.
6. While the lentils sit, mix the Greek yoghurt with the lemon zest, the rest of the lemon juice, the mint and the extra virgin olive oil. Loosen with a teaspoon of water if needed — it should be spoonable, tangy and cool against the warm chicken. Pinch of salt to sharpen it.
7. Shred the rested chicken into thick pieces with two forks, stirring any board juices back through the meat — that's pure seasoning, don't waste it.
8. Spoon the herby lentils onto plates, pile the shredded chicken on top, dollop generously with the minted lemon yoghurt, and serve with crusty bread and a dressed green salad alongside for mopping and crunch.