Fresh Summer Salad With Fistfuls Of Herbs
- Chicken Marinade
- 4 chicken breast
- 5 sprigs fresh mint
- 3 fresh red chilli
- 2 juice of 2 lemons
- 1 pinch black pepper
- Preparing the Salad
- 1-2 bunches rocket
- 1-2 bunches pea shoots
- 5-6 sprigs fresh mint
- 10 chives and chive flowers
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme with flowers
- 8 radish
- 2 cups runner beans
- 60 milliliters olive oil
- 10 milliliters white wine vinegar
- 5 milliliters fresh lemon juice
- half preserved lemon finely sliced
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- Slice the chicken breasts ready to marinade. I usually cut one breast into three long fingers. It is better to have plenty of surface to absorb the marinade but cut it too thin and then end result is not as juicy.
- Cut up and bruise the mint really well so that the oil imparts the flavour into the lemon juice. Add roughly chopped chilli, the lemon juice and a crack of pepper.
- Coat the chicken well and leave for at least an hour, preferably longer if you have time.
- To prepare the dressing: Mix the olive oil, white wine vinegar, 2 sprigs of thyme, 4 chives, the preserved lemon, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Make sure to bruise the thyme leaves in your fingertips as you add them and chop the chives finely. This will ensure the aromas from the oils in the herbs will flavour the dressing. rnThis is basically vinaigrette but should taste unbalanced and too oily at this point. If you add too much vinegar or lemon the salad will be too acidic due to the preserved lemons.
- slice the runner beans thinly (about 2mm) and blanch them in salted water until the texture is al dente. Cool them under running water and mix them into the dressing to infuse a little.
- Wash the rocket and pea shoots and arrange on plates with sliced radish.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and take off any mint leaves or pieces of chilli or they will just burn as you cook the chicken.
- Grill the chicken.
- Assemble the salad by putting the runner beans and dressing over the leaves and place the chicken on top.
- Finish off by scattering whole mint leaves, chives, thyme leaves, chive flowers and thyme flowers. If you have them also add flowers from rocket or pea shoots, they look beautiful and are delicious.
chicken marinade, chicken breast, mint, red chilli, lemons, black pepper, salad, bunches rocket, bunches, mint, chives, thyme, radish, runner beans, olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon, salt, pepper
Taken from food52.com/recipes/22802-fresh-summer-salad-with-fistfuls-of-herbs (may not work)