TOBIAS STRANOVER’S CHICKEN & ALMONDS

SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT MEAL OR 6 AS A STARTER

Painting in London in the first half of the 18th century, Tobias Stranover specialised in oils of exotic and native birds, such as his Peacock, Hen and Cock Pheasant in a

Landscape pictured here. I’m lucky enough to have my own free-ranging chickens to admire, and when the girls are in action I’m forever coming up with new ways to enjoy their eggs. A current favourite is this salad with almonds adding rich, toasty flavour notes (the secret is to roast them until they’re dark). This salad also makes a great filling for a hearty sandwich.

INGREDIENTS

⅔ cup raw almonds

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup crème fraîche

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp celery seeds

3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or good white wine vinegar)

2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into large dice (I used breasts from a rotisserie chicken) 3 stalks celery, chopped

½-1 cup celery leaves, roughly chopped 1½ cups red seedless grapes, halved

½ red onion, finely sliced

4 free-range eggs, hard-boiled and chopped

1 Dry roast the almonds in the oven at 180°C fanbake for around 12 minutes until fragrant and dark, but don’t let them burn. Remove from oven and set aside. When cool, roughly chop.

2 Make a dressing by whisking together the oil, crème fraîche, mustard, celery seeds and balsamic, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and mix to thoroughly coat.

3 In a large bowl combine all the other ingredients then add the chicken mixture and toss gently to incorporate. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with the chopped, roasted almonds.