Too hot to cook?
Assembling a super salad takes the heat off
Ella Fitzgerald got it right with that catchy little song of hers, It’s Too Darn Hot. Those dog days of summer when your Jandals stick to the tar on the road and your iceblock has melted before you even get out of the store, it’s too darn hot for most things, especially cooking.
It’s not just the idea of standing sweating over a hot stove that’s so unappealing; in the never-ending heat, our appetites can’t manage hot or heavy food.
Our craving for light and fresh tastes is partnered by the season’s harvests. At this time of year we’re surrounded by an abundance of saladfriendly vegetables and fruits that require little effort to be transformed into tasty light meals.
Think buttercrunch lettuce, sliced fresh peaches and avocado, mint, spring onions and a spicy chilli lime dressing tossed with poached or roasted chicken or paper-thin shavings of prosciutto. Or crunchy cos lettuce, lightly cooked green beans, spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and a dressing made simply from basil pesto thinned with a little olive oil. This combo is equally good with chicken, canned tuna, lamb or hard-boiled eggs for an easy hot weather meal.
I like to keep a stash of different dressings on hand in the fridge. It’s the simplest way to change the style of whatever salady assembly I’m making.
At this time of year, I’m a great fan of poached chicken as a starting point for assembling salads. Toss with whatever dressing you fancy, add grains, noodles or pasta, then fresh salad vegetables and herbs of your choice.
It doesn’t matter how many chicken breasts you cook, the poaching method remains the same. Place chicken breasts in a pot that holds them snugly in a single layer. Add flavourings, such as sliced lemon and bay leaves or rosemary for Mediterranean dishes or a few star anise, slices of fresh ginger and a slug of sesame oil for an Asian twist. Add enough cold water to cover the chicken by 5cm (about two finger joints). Season with salt and a few peppercorns and bring just to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave to cool for about 1½ hours without removing the lid.
Chicken can be poached up to two days ahead, cooled and stored in its poaching broth in the fridge until needed. This said, poached chicken (or any cooked chicken) is more tender and juicy if it has not been chilled, as chilling will set the flesh.
When ready to use, strain poaching liquid and reserve it for later use as stock. Discard the chicken skin and shred the flesh into chunks or slice as preferred.
This week’s recipes show some super-quick summer fare.