Poached Chicken with Freekeh and Spices

In this Lebanese dish, chicken is simmered in spices and served with freekeh, a roasted green wheat that is a staple of Lebanon and Syria especially, and now one of our favourites. The wheat is harvested while the grain is still young (green), then roasted over wood fires or charcoal directly in the fields to burn off the husks. This process gives the wheat a wonderful, earthy, smoky flavour. Freekeh is also delicious with fish and can be cooked with water or stock. This is a clean-tasting