Spiced chicken skewers with watermelon, feta and mint salad

Food editor, stylist and author Angela Boggiano and her photographer husband, Craig Robertson, owners of At the Kitchen in Cheadle Hulme, share a fresh and delicious summer menu of spiced chicken skewers with watermelon, feta and mint salad.

It is time for some outdoor summer vibes and what better than a simple menu that screams of the taste and freshness of summer. The kind of food where you are not spending hours cooking but will easily feed a hungry gathering. Add extra bought-breads, salads and condiments to create a fabulous vibrant summer spread. And, if the weather fails us, then bring everything indoors, no problem!

For the watermelon salad:

½ small watermelon, peeled & cut into wedges

¼ cucumber, halved lengthways & sliced

100g feta cheese, crumbled into large pieces

100g pomegranate seeds

25g black olives

1 small red onion, finely sliced Handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

Juice 1 lemon

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Spiced chicken skewers with watermelon, feta and mint salad

Serves 4

For the chicken skewers:

1 tsp each cumin seeds & coriander seeds

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dried oregano

Grated zest & juice of 1 lemon

4 tbsp natural yoghurt

1 tbsp olive oil

8 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 4cm cubes

1tsp honey

1. Place the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan and cook for a minute until toasted and fragrant. Place in a pestle and mortar with the garlic, a good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper and crush until finely ground to a paste. Stir in the paprika and oregano and mix well. Spoon the paste into a large mixing bowl and add the lemon juice and zest, yoghurt, olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix well.

2. Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and marinade, preferably overnight or for at least two hours. When ready to cook, thread the chicken pieces onto metal skewers. If using wooden bamboo skewers, soak them in water before threading as this prevents them burning under the grill or on the barbeque.

3. Prepare the salad by arranging the watermelon and cucumber on a large platter and sprinkling over the feta, pomegranate seeds, olives, red onion and mint.

4. Whisk the lemon juice, mustard, oil and honey and then pour over the salad and season with ground black pepper to taste.

5. Preheat the grill or barbeque. Lay the skewers on a grill pan rack or barbeque rack and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning regularly throughout and brushing with any extra marinade as you go, until golden and cooked through. Serve with flatbreads, extra salad leaves, such as rocket, or watercress if you like and extra thick Greek yoghurt.

Also delicious with tahini, lemon and yoghurt mixed together as an extra dressing. Pickled vegetables and chillies on the side would be perfect.