Warm, Spiced Chicken and Kumara Salad

, from Issue #67. October, 2016
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Warm, Spiced Chicken and Kumara Salad

A composed salad looks impressive but is simply a salad where all the ingredients are arranged on a platter rather than tossed together. This one is packed with roasted veges and lightly spiced chicken then topped with a fresh mint dressing. 

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

800 grams skin on, boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon Persian spice mix (I used Jonathan’s Spices)
olive oil
800 grams beauregard kumara, peeled and cut into large bite-sized pieces
3 red onions, peeled cut into thick wedges, through the root
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves 1 cos lettuce, shredded
Roasted Carrot Ribbons, recipe below
sea salt and ground pepper
Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
¼ cup currants


Roasted Carrot Ribbons
2 large carrots 
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat oven to 160°C fan bake.

Cut the chicken into 2cm wide strips. Stir the spice mix with 3 tablespoons of oil and add the chicken turning to coat well. Set aside until needed.

Put the kumara and onions on a large roasting tray and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes until tender, turning once.

Dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season.

Chicken: Heat a sauté pan and when hot, cook the chicken in batches until golden and crispy in places and cooked through.

To assemble: Arrange the spinach leaves on one side of the platter and top with the warm chicken. Put the cos down the centre with the roasted onions then place the kumara and carrots alongside.

Spoon the dressing over the top along with a sprinkle of salt and a good grind of pepper.   


Roasted Carrot Ribbons

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.

Use a vegetable peeler to cut long strips off each carrot. Place in a single layer on a lined, flat baking tray, putting them tightly together as they will shrink during cooking. Brush with olive oil and season.

Roast for about 20 minutes until they look a little dry and shrivelled but still orange. If they start to brown, reduce the oven temperature to 140°C.