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June
2004 Recipe
Chicken
Salad with Cherries & Arugula
The delights of duck with cherries are well known, but cherries
are also delicious with chicken as a summer salad. For a party
dish, replace the chicken with skinless duck breasts cooked the
same way.
Serves 4 for supper
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4
cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb total)
-
1/2 lb
cherries
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4
scallions
-
1/2 lb
arugula or other tart greens
-
1 1/2
tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
For the
dressing
-
juice
2 lemons
-
1
tablespoon Dijon mustard
-
1 in
piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped
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1
teaspoon ground coriander salt and pepper
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1/2
cup olive oil
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2
tablespoons chopped cilantro
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Cut
the chicken breasts into 1 in cubes. Pit
the cherries and mix them in a bowl with the chicken. Trim
and slice the scallions, including some of the green tops, and
add to the chicken. For decoration, cut the remaining tops into
thin strips and soak them in iced water so that they curl. Wash
and dry the arugula. If the leaves are large, tear them in two
or three pieces.
-
Make the dressing: Whisk the lemon juice, mustard, ginger,
ground coriander, salt and pepper in a small bowl until mixed.
Gradually whisk in the olive oil so the dressing emulsifies and
thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
-
Toss the arugula with about a quarter of the dressing, taste the
greens for seasoning, and arrange them on four plates. Toss the
chicken and cherries with the cilantro and remaining dressing.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pile the salad on the greens and
sprinkle with sesame seeds. Drain the spring onion strips and
scatter them on top.
Shortcut: Don't bother to pit the cherries, but be sure to
warn your guests!
Getting Ahead: Cut up the
chicken, pit the cherries, prepare the greens and make the
dressing up to 6 hours ahead, keeping chicken, cherries and greens
in the refrigerator. Assemble the salad just before serving.
On
the Side: Bread. Crisp baguette or a flat pita are perfect,
whatever is your pleasure.
In
the Glass: A well chilled white or rose with some acidity to
contrast with the sweet cherries.
To Pit Cherries
 You
can pit cherries two ways: quickest is to use the cherry pitting
tool which operates like scissors and pops out the pit like a
bullet, leaving a somewhat mangled cherry. Slower but less
destructive is to scoop out the pit with the point of a vegetable
peeler, leaving the cherry more or less intact. Less orthodox but
efficient implements include hairpins, large hair clips, and paper
clips.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Good Food No
Fuss (2003) published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
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