Warm Shredded Chicken Salad

Warm Shredded Chicken Salad
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By Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice plus ½ lemon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 large bunches watercress, torn into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup dark sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons plus ½ cup peanut oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 6 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in to 3-inch by ½-inch strips
• 2 ripe California avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and thinly sliced lengthwise

METHOD:

To make the watercress salad, in a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the watercress and toss with dressing.

In a bowl, combine the sesame oil, 2 Tablespoons peanut oil, remaining lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch, and chicken. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes, but no longer than 30 minutes.

Arrange the watercress salad on 6 serving plates and chill in the refrigerator.

Heat remaining ½ cup peanut oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Fry the chicken until dark golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute per side per strip.

To serve, arrange about 8 hot chicken strips on each salad in a spoke pattern and avocado slices.

Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Round Out the Meal:
With Spicy Soba Noodles (recipe below).

Kid Friendly:
This is kid friendly!

Beverage Pairing:
A green tea.

Spicy Soba Noodles

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 1/4 cup dark sesame oil
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chili oil
• 3 Tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• Salt
• 1/2 pound Soba or Japanese buckwheat noodles

Place soy sauce in a pan over high heat and reduce by half. Turn heat to low, stir in molasses, and warm briefly. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and whisk with the sesame oil, tahini, brown sugar, chili oil vinegar, scallions, and salt.

Cook noodles in salted boiling water until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and toss under cold running water, then drain again. Combine the noodles with the sauce.