Smoked chicken and Little Gem salad
Ever made your own salad cream? It goes perfectly with Michelin-starred chef Adam Byatt’s springtime smoked chicken and Little Gem salad.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 80g/3oz new season broad beans, podded
- 2 asparagus spears
- 2 cooked smoked chicken breasts
- 3 Little Gem lettuces
- 80g/3oz tiny boiled Jersey Royal potatoes
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced and in iced water
- 3 radish, thinly sliced and in iced water
- 20g/¾oz salad cress
- 3 stems fresh lovage
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad cream
Method
Blanch the broad beans and asparagus in boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Place in very cold water to refresh.
Make the salad cream in a food processor. Blend the eggs, sugar, salt and vinegar with 100ml/3½fl oz water, then slowly pour in the oil with the blender on. Once the ingredients are fully combined, finish with the cream and pass the dressing through a sieve. Reserve and set aside.
Shred the chicken breasts into strips and set aside. Pick the leaves from the Little Gems and transfer to iced water.
Put the lettuce, potatoes, radish, peas, asparagus, broad beans and spring onions into a salad spinner to dry. Transfer to a large bowl with the chicken, dress liberally with the salad cream and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the salad on a serving platter, then finish with the lovage, salad cress and more salad cream.
