A special chicken Caesar salad with super tasty caramel coated grapes
Ingredients
- For the rosemary croûtons
- 2 slices spelt loaf
bread, sliced into thin croûtons - 2 tbsp
olive oil - 2 sprigs
rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped
- 2 slices spelt loaf
- For the spicy pecans
- 125g/4½oz
butter - 150g/5½oz
brown sugar - two pinches
cayenne pepper - 300g/10½oz
pecans - 50g/1¾oz
egg white, beaten until frothy
- 125g/4½oz
- For the chicken Caesar salad
- 1 whole
chicken - 1
carrot, cut into chunks - 1
celery stick, cut into chunks - 1
onion, peeled and cut into chunks - 1 sprig
thyme - 1 sprig
rosemary - 2
garlic cloves, peeled and smashed - 1
Cos lettuce, roughly chopped - 1
Little Gem lettuce, roughly chopped
- 1 whole
- For the dressing
- 1 bulb of
garlic, top cut off - 1 sprig of
rosemary - 1 tbsp
olive oil - 2 free-range
egg yolks - 1 tsp
Dijon mustard - 2 tsp
white wine vinegar - 300ml/10fl oz
rapeseed oil salt and freshly ground black pepper - 2 tbsp
buttermilk - 2 tbsp
crème fraîche - 2 tbsp
honey - 50ml/2fl oz
rapeseed oil
- 1 bulb of
- For the crunchy grapes
- 10g
black sesame seeds - 10g
fennel seeds - 10g
sunflower seeds - 10g wasabi peas
- 20g/¾oz puffed rice cereal
- 10g shelled
pistachios - 50g/1¾oz
sugar - 100g/3½oz red seedless
grapes - 100g/3½oz green seedless
grapes
- 10g
Preparation method
For the rosemary croûtons, preheat the oven to its lowest setting.
Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet and drizzle over the oil and sprinkle over the rosemary. Place in the oven for 1-3 hours, or until golden-brown and crisp.
For the spicy pecans, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3
In a large ovenproof frying pan, melt the butter with the sugar to make a caramel. Add the cayenne pepper then fold in the pecans. Gently fold in the whisked egg whites until all the nuts are coated.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 25 minutes, stirring two or three times, or until the nuts are crunchy.
For the chicken Caesar salad, in a large pan add the chicken, carrot, celery, onion, thyme, rosemary, garlic and enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer on the hob and cook on a medium heat for 50 minutes to an hour.
Leave to cool in the liquid. Once cool enough to handle, tear the meat from the carcass and set aside.
To make the dressing preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Place the whole bulb of garlic in aluminium foil with a sprig of rosemary and cover. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Place the egg yolks, mustard and white wine vinegar in a food processor and blend. Gradually add the rapeseed oil until you have a smooth mayonnaise then season with salt and pepper.
For the crunchy grapes, crush together the seeds, wasabi peas, puffed rice cereal and pistachios. Put the sugar in a hot pan and when it dissolves, add the fresh grapes and the seed mixture. Stir it quickly to coat the grapes then set aside.
To finish the dressing, in a bowl add the buttermilk, crème fraiche, honey and cooked garlic pulp. Whisk in a little oil and add the mayonnaise.
To serve, in a large glass bowl add the Cos and baby gem lettuce, spicy pecans, crunchy grapes, croûtons, chicken and mix.
Pour over the dressing and toss to coat.
