John Torode's roast chicken salad
John Torode’s back in the kitchen and he's here to prove that salad is more than just a bit on the side… with his recipe for an epic summer roast chicken salad! Think juicy shredded chicken, golden potatoes, avocado, shallots and crisp green leaves all tossed with John’s ultimate dressing - there’s no sad and soggy salad here!
Roast chicken salad
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
800G Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks1 x 1.5kg Organic or Free Range Chicken1 lemon cut in half Handful fresh sage leaves (optional) 3 large ice cubes Salt & pepper 50ml Vegetable oil 50ml olive oil 10 cloves garlic smashed (optional) A few sprigs of rosemarySalt and pepper
For the dressing:4 tbsp olive oil1 lime juice and zest2 tbsp white wine vinegar1 tsp Dijon mustard2-3 tbsp capers in brineA good handful of fresh chopped coriander
For the salad: 100g frozen peas in a bowl 4 spring onions, chopped into 6 cm lengths 100g sugar snap peas 2 avocados, peeled and sliced into large wedges 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cucumber, half peeled and sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler3 baby gem, cut into quarters
Method
1. Bring the potatoes to the boil and let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 200c
3. Fill the chickens with the lemon, sage and season the ice and place inside the chicken.
4. Place the roasting tin over a high heat and add the vegetable oil, drop the potatoes into the dish and shake well to give the potatoes a coating of oil.
5. Put the chicken in with the potatoes, pushing them out of the way so the potatoes will cook and get colour. Pour the olive oil over the top and drop in the garlic and rosemary.
6. Place in the oven and leave to cook for 35 minutes before opening the door. Remove from the oven and drop the temperature to 190c
7. Turn the potatoes over and give the chicken a good basting by tipping the tray and scooping the juices from the pan, then spooning the juice over the breast of the chicken.
8. Return the Chicken to the oven and leave to cook for a further 40 minutes.
9. In the meantime make the dressing by mixing the olive oil, juice and zest of one lime, the white wine vinegar, Dijon or wholegrain mustard, capers and a good handful of fresh chopped coriander and keep to one side.
10. The chicken should be cooked by now. To bring everything together, take the potatoes from the tray and keep to one side.
11. Break the chicken up into large pieces and place onto a board, remove the rosemary and keep all the cooking juices and garlic in the roasting tray and add the peas, spring onions, sugar snap peas and half the potatoes along with half the dressing and give a good stir.
12. Drop on the chicken pieces and give a little stir, add the avocados, shallot, cucumber, baby gem lettuce and gently give a stir.
13. Serve with the extra dressing & the rest of the potatoes on the side.