Chicken, asparagus, broad bean and radish salad with dill and mint dressing
Very elegant and light, a perfect lunch salad and a dazzling mixture of pink, purple and green (especially if you can find a mixture of different coloured radishes). When asparagus isn’t in season, use green beans or sugar snap peas instead.
Ingrediënten
FOR THE SALAD
- 400 ml 14fl oz chicken stock
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts about 175g (6oz) each
- 135 g 5oz watermelon radish (or regular radishes, or a mixture)
- 300 g 10½oz broad beans
- 16 asparagus stalks halved lengthways
FOR THE DRESSING
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil fruity rather than grassy
- salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp double cream
- ½ tbsp chopped dill
- ½ tbsp chopped mint leaves
Instructies
- Put the stock into a sauté pan or a wide saucepan in which the chicken breasts can lie without touching each other.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and put the chicken into it.
- Poach for 12–13 minutes.
- This should give you meat that is cooked but still moist.
- You can serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.
- (The stock isn’t needed for this recipe, but keep it for something else. )
- Slice the radishes into thin rounds (if you have found watermelon radish, see here for how to prepare it).
- Make the dressing by putting the vinegar and mustard into a cup or bowl and then whisking in the olive oil, seasoning, cream and herbs.
- Set aside.
- Boil the broad beans for four minutes.
- Drain and run cold water over them while they are in the sieve.
- Once the broad beans are cool, slip the skin off each one (it’s laborious but worth it for the colour).
- Steam the asparagus, or cook it in a covered saucepan with the base of the stalks in a little water and the rest propped up against the side (unless you have an asparagus steamer).
- The asparagus should still have a little ‘bite’; check it with the tip of a sharp knife.
- Cut each chicken breast on the diagonal into about four slices.
- Toss the broad beans, radishes and asparagus with half the dressing.
- Divide between four plates.
- Put the chicken on top and spoon on the rest of the dressing.
- If there’s some dressing left over, offer it at the table.
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