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Chicken and avocado salad

(Stuff.co.nz)
Updated: 2007-03-05 17:20

This will become a favourite, as there's nothing nicer than a chicken salad. Make sure you poach the chicken in well-flavoured chicken stock, and always taste the mayonnaise, seasoning well to ensure that it is not bland. Choose a chardonnay to accompany this salad.

Ingredients

1 fresh chicken
2 litres well-flavoured chicken stock
2 cups short pasta tubes
olive oil
3 avocados
1 buttercrunch or green oak leaf lettuce
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

For the mayonnaise:
1 small piece of fresh ginger
1 egg
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
300mls olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra lemon for garnish

Method

You will need to cook the chicken well in advance (2-3 hours). Wash the chicken and pat dry. Put into a deep saucepan and cover with the chicken stock. If you don't have enough stock, add water and a few herbs for extra flavour. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about half an hour. Leave the chicken to cool in the liquid.

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta by cooking in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with a spoonful of oil so that the tubes do not stick together.

When the chicken has cooled, remove meat from the frame. Place the bones and skin back in the stock, boil for an hour, strain and keep for another use.

Peel the avocados and cut them into large chunks.

To make the mayonnaise, peel the ginger, chop roughly and place in the food processor with the egg, mustard, lemon juice and zest.

Process until the ginger is finely chopped, then add the olive oil in a slow steady stream until it is all incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick and unctuous. Taste and season.

To assemble the salad, line a serving platter with washed and dried lettuce leaves.

Toss the chicken and pasta in the mayonnaise, add the caraway seeds and avocado and pile on to the leaves. Add a few lemon wedges for garnish. Serves 6.