Smoked Chicken Salad Somewhat Caesar Style

Salad Ingredients

1 smoked chicken (or a pre-roasted chicken) A mix of lettuces (iceberg, romaine, purple, curly endive – try and get at least 2 kinds. Remember, iceberg has the least personality though & rocket or arugula have the most!)

About 2 bunches of fresh basil

1 cup of pitted black olives

2 red peppers (flame roasted, peeled by hand, don’t wash! You lose flavour. Chop into squares about of about 2 cms)

Crunchy Walnut Croutons (Dean & DeLuca Style)

Dressing Ingredients:

Garlic  - 3 cloves

Big bunch of parsley

Mustard powder (or a good quality whole grain mustard preparation)

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt to taste

2/3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Once you’ve put all the dressing ingredients into a bottle and given it a good shake and combined your salad ingredients into a bowl, there’s not much to do except dress the salad, fold in your beautiful caramelized walnuts and toss it all together gently with your hands. Taste for salt and you’re good to go.

If you’re a star at carving chickens and you don’t have too many people coming to lunch, then there is the option of plating the salad in individual plates, the chicken sliced and interspersed with the colours and textures of the sweet spicy basil and rocket, sweet red peppers, pert black olives and crunchy walnuts.