Moroccan Chicken and Feta Watermelon Salad with Le Mistral White Wine

I’ll be honest. I should have paid more attention while I was eating this. But I was hungry, so I inhaled my food. I know it was tasty. I do remember particularly enjoying the feta-watermelon salad. I especially enjoyed the saltiness of the feta with the sweet watermelon. This salad is phenomenal when it is hot outside. It is not hot in Monterey, but I know it is excruciating in most of the country right now. I know it may sound like a strange combo, but give it a try! I don’t remember too much else in terms of how the whole meal came together. However, I do know I was happy while I was eating.

I had forgotten about this Moroccan chicken recipe until I found in an old folder. I tweaked it a bit from the original recipe and do think I enjoyed it more than before. I am going to stick with the Moroccan chicken name although I have no idea if that name has any merit.

WINE: 2009 Le Mistral White Wine, Monterey County

A mix of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne this Rhone blend won an award for “Most Unique White Wine”. The nose is full of Honeydew. This continues on the solky palate along with apricot and pear. As it opens, toffee and butterscotch contribute to the finish.

I would try this dish with any of these varietals or other similar blends. I would also hazard a guess that a dry Rose or a Pinot Noir would be enjoyable too.

RECIPE: Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 shallot bulbs, rough chopped
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts (I used thighs tonight)

Directions:
1. In a blender, mix together everything but chicken.
2. Add marinate and chicken to Ziploc bag. Refrigerate overnight.
3. I use different cooking times and temperatures for breasts and thighs.
     a. For thighs: I heat grill to high and cook thighs on an open grill for ~ 4 minutes per side.
     b. As breasts are thicker, I heat grill to medium. I cook breasts with grill closed until cooked through.
     This will largely depend on size of breasts. I find that it usually takes 6-8 minutes per side.

RECIPE: Feta Watermelon Salad
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 3 cups of watermelon, cubed and seeded
• ½ cup feta, crumbled (the nicer the quality the tastier)

Directions:
1. Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt together in a medium to large bowl.
2. Add cucumbers and red onion. Stir. If possible, let the cucumbers and onion marinate for about an hour in the fridge. I didn’t have the time tonight and it came out fine without doing this, but I think it is a bit better this way.
3. Add watermelon and feta. Stir together and serve.