I don’t do a lot of wraps. But this winter has provided us with a bounty of sweet winter carrots, we had some really good local chicken that needed eating, and, after a slow market day (too cold, I guess), we had several unsold bags of our spinach to eat our way through. Sure, salads seem like a logical choice. But, I wanted something different. So, I improvised a blackened chicken wrap.
For me, this wrap is mostly about the veggies. The blackened chicken is just a yummy protein to make a balanced meal out of it. But it’s also something that can be used in lots of ways. I made enough that we have quite a bit of leftover, so I’ll probably add some to a salad or two, and tomorrow’s Pie of the Week will probably be a pizza version of this wrap.
Blackening as a technique is fairly simple and flexible. People often feel like they need to buy special (and expensive) “blackening spice.” But really, all it is is coating something with a heavy coating of a spice mix (which could be very spicy or quite mild), then searing it until it is quite dark, just on the verge of burning.
It’s a great way to add a lot of flavor and color, while not really needing anything specific. Really, nearly any mix of spices will work. You could use something pre-mixed, like a “Cajun” blackening spice, garam masala, or harissa powder. But you can also mix your own with whatever you have on hand. Which is what I did.
