Chicken with purslane

Hello peeps! I wonder how many of you can recognize this weed? In Greece, we call this ‘glistritha’ or ‘antrakla’ but you may identify it as purslane, pigweed, or pig’s weed. Super-rich in vitamins and nutrients, including Vitamin C, B and omega-3 fatty acids, this weed is not to be scorned and certainly too good for pigs to eat and humans to miss it! Greeks love it in salads throughout the summer when there’s plenty in the fields – personally I enjoy it most with tomato, cucumber and capers in a vinegar and olive oil dressing. But today I’m not here to talk salad. I’m here to tell you how to enjoy this nutritional marvel in a stew with chicken! This meal has a certain tang that you won’t have experienced in anything else and it’s utterly delicious.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2-3)

Purslane (about 20-30 stalks)

200-300 gr chicken breast in chunks

1 large beef tomato skinned and chopped

1 red onion chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon mustard

Fresh juice of 1/2 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper

Optional: 1 courgette (zucchini)

PREPARATION

First, cut the leaves off the stalks, a little ‘bouquet’ at a time, and wash them well in a bowl of water with a little vinegar in it. The below picture will show you the parts to use. Basically, you start from the top of each stalk, cutting out a few leaves at a time with a little of the main stalk attached to it as to hold them together.

I’d advise you to remove the seed pods as much as possible otherwise, if there are many, the purslane may be slightly gritty when you eat it. It’s all edible but it’s my personal preference to remove the pods as much as possible.

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil (as much as you’d use for a pasta sauce). After a minute, add the chicken. Keep stirring for another minute. Add bell pepper. Stir a little, add tomato, hot water, salt, pepper.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the purslane and also the courgette (zucchini), if using. Add a little more water if needed for the vegetables to boil comfortably. Bring to boil, then simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thick.

Taste  the meal before that and add salt if needed. When the sauce is ready, dissolve mustard in lemon juice, add to the meal. Boil for a minute or so.

Serve with rice. I love it best with Basmati or Thai rice.

Alternatively, try it with french fries and bread.

Also, I’ve cooked this meal with chunks of potato in it. Just add them from the beginning with the bell pepper and make sure there’s enough water for them to cook in.

Enjoy!

Hungry for more? Browse through all my recipes here: https://effrosinimoss.wordpress.com/category/greek-recipes-2/