The ‘big’ summer chicken salad
This glorious, big meal of a salad seems to appeal to all ages. It’s great for a picnic or a fresh and easy summer meal at home. You could also serve it with warm wraps or pita pockets, or add some big toasted sourdough croutons for extra crunch. Leave out the chilli if you’ve got kids along for dinner.
Ingrediënten
- 800 g 1 lb 12 oz skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Grated zest and juice of 3 limes
- 2 mangoes cut into cubes
- 2 avocados cut into cubes
- 3 Lebanese short cucumbers, cut into chunks
- 500 g 1 lb 2 oz mixed cherry and grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 red capsicum pepper, cut into chunks
- ½ red onion very finely diced
- 1 handful mint leaves roughly chopped
- 2 cos lettuces leaves separated
- ¼ cup 60 ml olive oil
- A good pinch of sea salt
- 1 Tbsp sumac
CARAMELISED MACADAMIAS
- 1 cup 155 g macadamia nuts
- 2 Tbsp 40 g butter
- ¼ cup 55 g caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- A good pinch of chilli flakes
Instructies
- Toss the chicken with the spices and lime zest in a bowl.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or all day if that’s easier).
- For the caramelised macadamias, line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Toast the macadamia nuts in a dry frying pan over medium–high heat for about 5 minutes or until the nuts are just turning golden.
- Add the butter, sugar, sea salt and chilli flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until the sugar has completely melted and coats the nuts like a caramel.
- Watch carefully as the nuts can burn very easily.
- Quickly tip the caramelised macadamias onto the lined baking tray and spread them out in a single layer.
- Set aside to cool and harden, then place in a jar.
- Combine the mango and avocado in a small container or bowl and drizzle with a third of the lime juice.
- Combine the cucumber, tomato, capsicum, red onion and mint leaves in a larger container or bowl.
- Put the lettuce leaves in a container or bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Pour half of the remaining lime juice and half of the olive oil into a jar and shake to make a dressing.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over high heat.
- Add the marinated chicken and salt and cook, stirring and tossing the chicken, for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Sprinkle the remaining lime juice and the sumac over the chicken and let it sit in the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring it to a container or bowl.
- (I like to cook the chicken right before we walk out the door so it’s still warm when we get to eating it.
- But it’s also really good cold, so if you think that’s safer, cook it in advance and chill it before heading out, then pack it in a cool box or insulated bag with ice bricks.)
- Gather up the containers of chicken, lettuce, cucumber mixture, mango and avocado mixture, dressing and caramelised macadamias and head outdoors, or arrange all the food on the table at home
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