And to Drink …

The combination of smoky freekeh with chicken makes me think immediately of the red wines of the northern Rhône Valley, made with the syrah grape. These can range from serious wines from Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie that need many years of age to easier-going bottles from Crozes-Hermitage or St.-Joseph in which the savory, meaty, peppery flavors are immediately accessible. One of these more casual wines would be ideal with this dish. Other options? A regional burgundy or simple pinot noir would be delicious.So would a Beaujolais, or any number of soft, refreshing reds from the Loire Valley. A California carignan would go well. You could easily drink a late summer dry rosé, and if you wanted a white, I’d opt for a chenin Blanc from the Anjou region of the Loire. ERIC ASIMOV