Sesame chicken salad with spicy peanut dressing

I sometimes change the protein and serve juicy prawns instead of chicken, but it also works well with firm smoked tofu or a combination of both if you’re trying to cut down on your meat consumption. You can also add any vegetables you want to the salad base.

Serves 4

Ready in 35 mins

1 rotisserie chicken

100g bean sprouts

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

4 spring onions, thinly sliced into matchsticks

2 large carrots, thinly sliced into matchsticks (use a julienne peeler if you have one)

½ Chinese leaf lettuce, halved and thinly shredded 30g bunch of coriander

Handful of salted peanuts, roughly chopped

FOR THE DRESSING

6tbsp peanut butter (I use crunchy)

3tbsp soy sauce

2tbsp maple syrup

1tbsp sriracha chilli sauce (if you like a kick)

1tbsp rice vinegar

Juice of ½ lime, extra ½ cut into wedges to serve

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Fill the kettle with water and boil. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 6 and line baking sheet with baking paper. Pull the skin off the chicken and lay in a single layer on the prepared sheet. Cook in the oven for 15 mins, or until crisp. Leave to cool, then chop or break into shards.

2 For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste for seasoning and add a little more of any of the ingredients to taste. Set aside.

3 Put the bean sprouts into a sieve or colander, then pour over boiling water to remove their rawness. Leave to cool. Pull the meat from the chicken carcass and pile it into your biggest salad bowl. Shred the meat with a couple of forks or with clean hands.

4 Add the vegetables, bean sprouts and coriander, then pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Scatter over the chopped peanuts and crispy chicken skin and serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing.

THE SHORTCUT

I just love using rotisserie chicken as they’re easy and tasty. Use the carcass to make a quick stock – don’t forget to throw in any trimmings from the vegetables into the stock too!