Miso & Lemon-glazed Chicken with Japanese Sesame Spinach & Avocado Salad
SERVES 4 PREPARATION 20 MINUTES COOKING 10 MINUTES
JAPANESE SESAME DRESSING 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon honey ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
SALAD 2 Lebanese cucumbers or 1 telegraph cucumber 3-4 baby radishes 2 spring onions flesh of 1 firm, ripe avocado 4-6 handfuls baby spinach 1 cup frozen edamame beans, defrosted
MISO & LEMON-GLAZED CHICKEN 1½ tablespoons white miso paste 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar ½ teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger 1½ tablespoons water 550g skinless chicken breasts 1 teaspoon oil juice of 1 lemon
1. To make the Japanese sesame dressing, toast sesame seeds in a dry frypan, moving the pan around frequently, for about 2 minutes or until light golden. Set aside about ½ teaspoon for garnish, then crush the rest of the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle to form a paste. Combine sesame paste with remaining dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth (I just do this in the bowl of the mortar and pestle). Set dressing aside.
2. SALAD. For the salad, cut cucumber in half lengthways, scooping out seeds with a teaspoon and thinly slicing into half-moons. Thinly slice baby radishes, spring onions and avocado. Place in a large bowl with spinach and edamame.
3. Mix miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger and water together in a small bowl.
4. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and cut into steaks – to do this, place one hand flat on top of a chicken breast and use a knife in the other hand to carefully slice through horizontally to make 2 thin steaks.
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick frypan on medium-high heat. Cook chicken steaks for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Set chicken aside and keep pan on the heat. Add miso mixture to pan, bring to a rapid bubble and squeeze in lemon juice. Let it bubble for a minute, then turn off the heat. Return chicken steaks to the pan and toss to coat.
6. To serve, toss salad with dressing and divide between plates. Top with chicken steak (or slices of chicken) and spoon over any remaining glaze from pan. Garnish with a sprinkle of reserved toasted sesame seeds.