Chicken couscous salad and watermelon with peach and feta from Nigel Slater.

During the height of summer, I sometimes wonder whether I couldn’t simply subsist on watermelon. Cantaloupe wedges wrapped in San Daniele ham, honeydew with green flesh for breakfast, and dish after plate of watermelon topped with feta. With tomatoes and basil, melon makes a refreshing summer gazpacho, and I occasionally serve it as a dessert in a chilled syrup made with elderflower cordial and lemon verbena.

The salad I’ve served twice this week is the usual one with watermelon and feta, but with pumpkin seeds and high-summer basil leaves. The warm pepperiness of the basil pairs well with the chilly melon, while the crunch of the pumpkin seeds complements the saltiness of the feta.

It’s fine as a side dish with grilled squid, but if I’m making a salad for lunch, it must be accompanied by something substantial. This time a chicken dish with radishes with white tips, sprouting seeds, watercress, couscous, and harissa. You could use leftover roast chicken, but I cooked the chicken with herbs and veggies from scratch and used the ensuing liquid to plump the couscous grains. A small feature that greatly enhances the couscous’s appeal.

Chicken couscous salad
My criteria for any couscous salad is that there must be double the number of herbs, fruit, and veggies compared to couscous. Greater quantities of parsley, tomatoes, sprouting seeds, and radishes are preferable. And I use instant couscous, not just to annoy purists, but also because life is too short not to.

For the chicken:
chicken breasts 2 on the bone
chicken leg 1, large, whole
chicken wings 6
carrots 2, medium
leeks 2, small
onions 1, large
thyme 6 sprigs
parsley 8 stalks
celery 1 stick
tomatoes 2
water 2 liters

For the couscous:
boiling stock 200ml from cooking the chicken
fine couscous 100g
cherry tomatoes 15
harissa paste 1 tsp
runny honey 1 tsp
sprouting chickpeas 75g
sprouting mung beans 75g
watercress 50g
parsley 30g (weight with stalks)
radishes 12
lettuce leaves a few large ones, to finish

For the dressing:
olive oil 4 tbsp
sherry vinegar 1 tbsp
runny honey 1 tsp

Place chicken breasts, chicken legs, and chicken wings in a big, deep pot. Scrub the carrots, then roughly chop them. Thoroughly wash the leeks, ensuring that no grit is stuck between their layers, then add them to the pan with the carrots. Peel the onions, chop them in half, and add them to the chicken along with thyme, parsley, and celery. Add entire tomatoes, then pour boiling water over them and bring to a boil.

When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat until the liquid gently bubbles, then simmer for one hour. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in its broth before removing the flesh from the legs and breasts. (The wings have completed their mission.) The majority of the meat may be removed from the bones using your fingers. Cut or rip the meat into large pieces, then place it in a cool location.

Bring 200 milliliters of chicken stock to a boil. Place couscous in a basin and pour the hot stock over it. While preparing the salad, cover with a platter.

In a small bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, harissa paste, and honey. Place the sprouted chickpeas and mung beans in a strainer and thoroughly rinse them with cold water. Shake them dry and place them in a large mixing bowl. Rinse the watercress thoroughly, pat it dry, and remove any fibrous stems. Leaves of parsley should be roughly chopped. Mix the watercress and parsley with the sprouting chickpeas and mung beans, followed by the chicken, tomatoes, and their dressing. Slice the radishes thinly.

Use a fork to separate the grains of couscous, then combine it with the radishes and the remaining ingredients. Combine the ingredients for the dressing with a pinch of salt. Pour the dressing over the salad, then carefully toss the ingredients. Place on a serving platter, if desired lined with salad greens.

A salad composed of watermelon, peach, feta, and toasted seeds.
Refrigerate the watermelon completely. This cannot be emphasized enough. I used white peaches in this recipe, but any variety would work as long as it is ripe and sweet — a contrast to the crispness of the cooled watermelon and the saltiness of the feta.

watermelon 1.2kg, chilled
sesame seeds 2 tsp
pumpkin seeds 30g
feta cheese 200g
basil leaves 15
olive oil 2 tbsp
red wine vinegar 1 tbsp
white peaches 4, small

Remove the watermelon’s rind before eating. Prepare the flesh in thick slices (about 5mm). Using the tip of a knife, carefully remove as many seeds as possible without crushing the watermelon. Place the melon in the refrigerator.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry, shallow pan over moderate heat until golden. (They are quite flammable, so keep a watch on them.) Toss them in a basin with the pumpkin seeds. As they are pretty huge, you can chop them if you choose, but I prefer them whole. Crumble the feta cheese and add the basil leaves to the seeds. Pour the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and black pepper into a bowl (no salt).

Half the peaches, remove their pits and then cut each half into three or four pieces. Include in the dressing. Arrange the chilled watermelon chunks on a serving platter, then top with the feta, peaches, and herbs.