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

• 4 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb total)

• 1/2 lb cherries

• 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

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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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