Warm lemon and rosemary chicken salad with a shallot and caper dressing

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William Drabble's warm chicken salad is packed with flavours and textures, with French beans, artichoke hearts and crunchy, golden croutons. This easy chicken recipe makes a fantastic midweek meal as it is simple to prepare and very quick to put together - just remember to marinate the chicken ahead of time.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

For the chicken

For the dressing

  • 1 shallot, very finely chopped
  • 12 rosemary leaves, chopped
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 50ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of capers, soaked in cold water to remove the salt and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 lemon

For the salad

  • 20 French beans
  • 1 baguette, small, sliced
  • olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • artichoke hearts, chargrilled, any tough outer leaves removed
  • baby mixed salad leaves

Method

1
Place the chicken fillets in a bowl and add the crushed garlic, rosemary, olive oil and sliced lemon. Mix thoroughly to fully coat the chicken, then cover and place in the fridge. Leave overnight to marinate
2
For the dressing, add two tablespoons of the olive oil to a pan along with the rosemary and a pinch of salt, then sweat the shallots until they are soft and sweet. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool
3
Once the shallots have cooled, stir in the chopped capers, a squeeze of lemon juice and 50ml of extra virgin olive oil. Leave to one side until ready to serve
  • 1 tbsp of capers, soaked in cold water to remove the salt and roughly chopped
  • 1/4 lemon
  • 50ml of extra virgin olive oil
4
Add the French beans to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 2-3 minutes, then drain and leave to one side until required
  • 20 French beans
5
Preheat the oven to 165°C/gas mark 3
6
Cover a baking tray in a small drop of olive oil and rub it all over with a clove of garlic. Lie the baguette slices on the baking tray, pressing them evenly onto the tray on both sides so they absorb some of the garlic oil. Bake the baguette slices in the oven for 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool until ready to serve
7
Remove the chicken fillets from the marinade, wiping off any excess and discarding the rosemary and lemon. Season well with salt and pepper, then fry the chicken in a very hot pan. Turn the fillets regularly until evenly cooked throughout, then remove from the pan and leave to rest for a minute
8
While the chicken is resting add the artichokes and beans to the hot pan and toss quickly to warm through. Transfer the warm vegetables to a bowl along with the salad leaves, allowing the leaves to wilt slightly
  • artichoke hearts, chargrilled, any tough outer leaves removed
  • baby mixed salad leaves
9
Gently warm the shallot dressing until it begins to release the aromas of the oil, then spoon a small amount over the salad. Mix it all together until thoroughly combined, then divide the dressed salad between two bowls
10
Arrange the croutons on top of the salad and followed by the chicken. Drizzle over some more dressing and serve immediately
First published in 2015

Beginning his career as an unpaid kitchen worker at the age of fourteen, William Drabble has steadily worked his way up to the position of Executive Chef at one of London's most prestigious hotels.

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