Chicken Salad

(My version of a Ceasar salad)

serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken

8 chicken thighs

3 tbsp BLAK FIRE

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp smoked sea salt

1 tsp grated garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

Black pepper

Dressing

3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp BLAK FIRE

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp muscatel vinegar

Juice of ½ lime

½ tsp fish sauce (optional)

1 tsp maple

1 tbsp finely grated parmesan

Salt to taste

Greens

2 baby gems, cut into wedges

2 chicory, leaves separated

Croutons

Handful torn sourdough

1 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp crumbled feta

1 garlic clove, sliced

½ tsp smoked paprika

Olive oil

Finish

Shaved parmesan

Method

Mix the chicken with everything in the marinade and leave it for at least 30 minutes. Longer if you can.

Cook the chicken over a medium-high heat, either on the Big Green Egg or a hot pan. Let it take colour before turning. Cook through, then rest before slicing.

While the chicken cooks, heat a pan with a little olive oil. Add the bread, garlic, sesame seeds and smoked paprika. Cook until golden and crisp, then add the feta at the end so it softens slightly. Set aside.

Keep the greens raw. Crisp and cold.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together. Don’t overwork it. Taste and adjust. You’re looking for something that sits between sharp, soft and savoury.

To serve, arrange the greens on a plate. Add the sliced chicken, then the warm feta and sesame crunch. Spoon over the dressing lightly and finish with shaved parmesan and black pepper.

Chef’s notes

Loose garlic in the dressing gives you bite. Don’t turn it into a paste or you lose that edge.

Muscatel vinegar softens everything. It rounds the acidity instead of sharpening it, which is why it works with the yoghurt.

Cold greens, warm chicken, warm crunch. That contrast is what makes it feel alive.

If the dressing feels flat, push the muscatel first, then lime, then parmesan