Chicken with Warm Cauliflower, Feta and Almond Salad

, from Issue #43. August, 2015
Photography by Melanie Jenkins.
Chicken with Warm Cauliflower, Feta and Almond Salad

This is one of my favourite cauliflower salads and is delicious served at room temperature as a star in its own right.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

2-3 single boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup plain flour
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Salad
3 cups bite-sized pieces cauliflower
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pinch chilli flakes
½ teaspoon ground cumin
zest 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons thinly sliced sundried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup roasted, skin on almonds, roughly chopped
100 grams feta cheese, crumbled

METHOD

Chicken: Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thinner pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently to ½ cm thick.

Place the flour in a shallow dish and season. Dredge the chicken, shaking off the excess.

Heat a little oil in a sauté pan and cook the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes each side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Wipe out the sauté pan and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the cauliflower with a good pinch of salt and cook over a high heat until lightly coloured in places. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook for 2 minutes shaking the pan occasionally. The cauliflower should still have a little bite. Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, lemon zest and juice, wine and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes then add the capers, tomatoes and parsley. Add to the cauliflower and combine well.

To serve: Place the chicken on plates and spoon over the salad then top with the feta and almonds. 

Pantry note: Roasted skin-on almonds can be found in the loose bins at supermarkets.