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Seasonal Chicken & Smoked Bacon Salad

  

 Ingredients for the salad;

Large, 1.7kg free-range chicken (or 4 large chicken breasts)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

6 smoked streaky bacon rashers

3 thick slices white bread or a small ciabatta loaf, cut into 1.5cm cubes

1 cos lettuce, roughly torn into pieces

Handful rocket leaves

4 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

One hand full of toasted pinenuts

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ tsp Wholegrain mustard

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

50g Parmesan, roughly grated

Method; 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin, rub the oil all over it and sprinkle with a little sea salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Squeeze over the juice of 2 of the lemon wedges and roast for 1¼ hours.
  2. Add the bacon to the roasting tin and cook for a further 10 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked and golden.
  3. Remove the chicken and bacon from the tin and set aside on a board. Add the bread to the roasting tin and toss well with the pan juices. Roast for 8-10 minutes until golden.
  4. Roughly chop the bacon, together with the chicken leg and thigh meat, into pieces.
  5. Place the cos lettuce and rocket in 4 serving bowls, then top with the chicken, bacon and croutons.
  6. Whizz the anchovies, garlic and mustard in a small food processor until mixed (or whisk in a bowl).
  7. Pour in the extra-virgin olive oil and squeeze in the juice from the remaining lemon wedges. Toss the dressing through the salad and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.
  8. This can be served with the bacon and chicken either hot or cold (this time of year - better served hot).