Donal Skehan’s lighter dinners for spring-summer

As the days stretch longer and the evenings hint at the warmth of summer to come, my home cooking begins to shift towards lighter fare, big on bold flavour. It’s a gradual transition, helped along by a recent trip to Los Angeles, which was a nice reminder of the joys of outdoor cooking and eating.

One of my current favourites is the grilled cumin chicken and halloumi salad here. The simplicity of tender grilled chicken dusted with toasted cumin, paired with the salty richness of halloumi cheese atop a bed of crisp greens, is a reminder that you don’t need too much to bring a little freshness to your kitchen. Quick to prepare and bursting with flavour, it’s a perfect go-to dinner on those evenings when inspiration eludes you.

Another dish that is a proper blast of fresh cooking is the harissa fried chicken with garlic and herb aioli. There’s something completely addictive about the crispy exterior of the chicken, tingling with the fiery heat of harissa spice. Served alongside a crisp green salad or with roasted potatoes, it’s the kind of treat dinner to look forward to. Don’t skimp on the accompanying garlic and herb aioli — it’s the second-best part of this recipe.

Lastly, a recipe for vibrant salsa verde steak tacos. Tender slices of steak (get the best you can afford and bear in mind, sliced thinly, you can stretch one large steak between two), perfectly grilled and smothered in tangy salsa verde, nestled within warm tortillas and topped with all the fixings. It has the type of flavours and textures I look forward to this time of year to catapult our kitchen into the lighter, brighter months. Whether enjoyed as a casual weeknight dinner or served up for a festive gathering, it’s always a hit.

What ties these dishes together is their celebration of fresh, vibrant ingredients and bold, punchy flavours. From the zesty salsa verde to the fiery kick of harissa spice, each dish has that kick which might help awaken your spring-summer cooking routine.

Grilled Cumin Chicken & Halloumi Salad

Serves: 4

Time: 30 minutes

For the chicken:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp garlic rapeseed oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 lemon, zest
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp honey

For the salad:

• 1 x 225g block halloumi cheese, sliced into 5mm slices
• 1 small red onion, finely sliced
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 Baby Gem lettuces, leaves separated
• A small bunch parsley, leaves picked
• A small bunch coriander, leaves picked

Method 1. Bash the chicken between two sheets of parchment paper until they are 1cm in thickness. Place a large griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Place the chicken in a bowl with garlic rapeseed oil, cumin and lemon zest and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to the pan and fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes either side or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly before slicing.

2. Brush the halloumi cheese with a little more of the garlic rapeseed oil and cook on the griddle pan on the same heat as the chicken until charred on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. For the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients and season to taste.

4. For the salad, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and add the dressing, tossing to coat completely.

5. Turn the salad out onto a large serving platter and top with the chicken and halloumi pieces.

Harissa Fried Chicken with Garlic & Herb Aioli

Serves: 4

Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp rose harissa paste
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 50ml white wine vinegar or distilled malt vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 650g skinless boneless chicken thighs, sliced into strips
• 1kg baby new potatoes, slice in half
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Harissa powder, to coat
• 1l vegetable oil, for frying

For the aioli:

• 2 large handfuls of mixed picked coriander, mint and parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 free-range egg yolks
• 175ml vegetable oil
• 100ml light olive oil

For the coating:

• 180g plain flour
• 60g cornflour
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas Mark 6.

2. Mix the yoghurt, harissa paste, garlic and vinegar together and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken and set aside to marinate for 1 hour or overnight.

3. Put the potatoes in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of the harissa powder and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden and crispy.

4. Meanwhile, make the aioli. Put the herbs, garlic, vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor and blitz together. Gradually, with the motor running, drizzle in the oils until you have a smooth, thick aioli —you may not need all the oil. Spoon into a small bowl for serving.

5. Blend the dry ingredients for the coating together in a flat dish and season with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan until it reaches 180C/350F on a meat thermometer.

6. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and coat all over in the flour mix. Dip back into the marinade and then, once more in the flour mix, and then into the hot oil and fry in batches for 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper before dusting liberally with the harissa powder.

7. Once all the chicken is fried, serve with the crispy new potatoes and bright-green herb aioli.

Salsa Verde Steak Tacos

Serves: 4

Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 striploin steaks
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 50g butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 50g butter
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

For the salsa verde:

• 20g basil
• 20g flat-leaf parsley
• 20g dill
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 100ml olive oil
• For the mayonnaise:
• 100g mayonnaise
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped

To serve:

• Corn tacos, warmed

Method 1. Season the steaks with salt and set aside.

2. Blend all the salsa verde ingredients except the oil together in a blender until you have a coarse mixture, then slowly drizzle in the oil until you have a vibrant green sauce. Season well.

3. For the mayonnaise, blend all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth and set aside in the fridge along with the salsa verde until needed.

4. Add the potato matchsticks to a pot of boiling water and par boil for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to cool in the fridge.

5. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep-sided pan to 190C/375F. Add enough to cover the potato matchsticks.

6. Place the butter and garlic into a separate, small saucepan over a medium heat and melt together to infuse. Strain the garlic from the butter using a small sieve and then mix the chopped parsley through the infused butter.

7. Fry the chips in the vegetable oil until golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper then drizzle over the garlic butter and toss through to combine.

8. Place a griddle pan over a very high heat. Add a little oil to the steaks and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they reach 50C/120C. Leave to rest for a few minutes before slicing thinly.

9. Serve the steak with the tacos, chilli lime mayonnaise, salsa verde and crispy chips.

Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan’s exclusive take on the day’s news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.