CHICKEN, JERSEY BENNE & AVOCADO SALAD WITH YOGHURT & VANILLA DRESSING
SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 40 MINUTES
2 free-range chicken breasts,
skin removed 400g jersey benne potatoes,
or baby potatoes 200g green tomatoes 1 avocado
1 cup natural yoghurt
1 Heilala vanilla pod 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ½ teaspoon coriander seeds,
toasted and crushed ½ teaspoon fennel seeds,
toasted and crushed ½ teaspoon black peppercorns,
crushed
15-20 chives, finely sliced 100g rocket leaves
Bring a medium-sized pot of water to the boil, then remove from the heat and immerse the chicken breasts. Cover with a lid and leave for 8-9 minutes until the chicken breasts are cooked through and their juices are clear. Remove from the water and allow to cool.
Put the baby potatoes into a suitable pot, cover with cold water, bring to a simmer and cook until al dente. Strain and allow to steam dry.
Remove and discard the cores from the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Cut the avocado into two, discard the stone and skin and slice into thick wedges. Put the avocado and tomato into a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt.
Put the yoghurt into a separate medium-sized bowl. Split the vanilla pod and use the tip of a small knife to scrape the seeds out into the yoghurt. Add the vinegar, crushed seeds, pepper and chives and fold together. Allow to infuse.
Cut the cooled potatoes into halves and add to the tomato and avocado. Finely slice the chicken breasts lengthwise. Add the yoghurt dressing to the vegetables and loosely toss together until the yoghurt is just beginning to coat (less mixing is better to avoid bruising).
Divide the vegetables between 4 bowls, interleaving slices of chicken and rocket leaves on top. Sprinkle over flaky salt to taste. Serve immediately.
GIVE THESE A GO…
Green Goddess yoghurt dressing
Put 2 cups of yoghurt into a blender or immersion blender jug. Add the flesh of a whole avocado, 2 anchovies (optional), 1 finely chopped garlic clove and ¼ cup each of finely chopped basil, parsley and tarragon. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Blend for 10 seconds and scrape down the sides. Continue to blend until completely smooth and a light green colour. Season lightly with salt. Serve immediately or store in a snaplock container for a day.
Cook’s tip: Makes an excellent dip for the fried green tomatoes (page 21). Yoghurt marinade with Aleppo pepper, garlic & savoury yeast
Place 1 litre yoghurt into a large bowl and add 10 tablespoons Aleppo pepper flakes, 3 minced garlic cloves and 5 tablespoons savoury yeast flakes. Whisk together thoroughly. Add your desired protein, coat thoroughly and cover with a lid. Store in the fridge overnight. The following day, remove protein from marinade and shake off any excess. Place onto a moderately hot grill to cook and baste with the remaining marinade. Grilled zucchini with yoghurt, preserved lemon & Sichuan pepper
Split 4 medium-sized zucchini lengthwise. Season the cut sides with salt and keep to one side. In a medium-sized bowl put 1 cup of natural yoghurt and the pith of a finely chopped preserved lemon. Put a dozen each of black peppercorns and Sichuan peppercorns into a pepper mill, grind into the yoghurt and mix through. Pat dry the zucchini and brush with oil. Place onto a hot grill and cook for 3 minutes on each side until becoming tender. Remove from the heat and spoon over the yoghurt dressing and garnish with 7-8 torn mint leaves. Serve immediately.