Green Asparagus Chicken Caesar Salad with Honey Pecan Nuts
Recipe From What's For Lunch, Honey?
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the dressing
1 egg, room temperature
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
100 ml olive oil
75 ml milk
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
For the Salad
500g green asparagus, cut in about 2 cm pieces
200g Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
50g Pecorino, grated or very thinly sliced using a vegetable peeler
2-3 slices rustic ciabatta bread, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
30g pecan nuts, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Small bunch thyme
400g chicken breast, skin removed and sliced
2 tablespoons clear honey, like acacia
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
Method:
To make the dressing put the egg, garlic clove, mustard and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a tall mixing container. Pour the oil and using an immersion blender blend the mixture until the dressing thickens. Add the milk and the remaining lemon juice and mix well. Season to taste.
Prepare a bowl with ice cold water. Blanch the asparagus pieces in salt water for about 3 to 4 minutes, making sure that they do not overcook and keep a slight crunch. With a slotted spoon remove the asparagus and immediately put into the ice water. Drain well.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet, then throw in the ciabatta cubes and mix to coat in the oil. When the bread begins to turn golden, add the chopped garlic and toss. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
WIth the remaining olive oil fry the chicken slices on all sides until cooked through and browned. Add the nuts, honey, thyme and whole-grain mustard and mix. Allow to cook for about 1 minute until everything is nicely glazed. Season to taste.
Toss the asparagus and lettuce in the dressing and place on a platter (or divide into bowls). Lay out the honey-nut-chicken slices over the top and finally sprinkle with the croutons and the Pecorino cheese.
Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper. Notes: Make sure that all the ingredients for the dressing are at room temperature as if they are used straight out of the fridge they will not blend into a homogeneous mixture.
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2013 Meeta K. Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | If you are interested in using my texts or photographs please contact me | You may not use my work for commercial purposes without my permission | You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work in any form | Please Ask First