Heston’s chicken, avocado & quinoa salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the chicken thighs:
3 chicken thigh fillets
40g olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and white pepper
For the dressing:
1 essential Waitrose Egg yolk
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tbsp white wine vinegar
50g lime juice (about 2 limes)
120g grapeseed oil
30g olive oil
½ tsp honey
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
½ x 28g pack fresh coriander
For the quinoa:
300g Heston from Waitrose Chicken Stock
150g quinoa
Salt
For the fried tortillas:
200g grapeseed oil
2 soft flour tortillas, very thinly sliced
For the crystalised almonds:
200g white caster sugar
100g almonds, halved
To finish:
1 avocado, peeled and de-stoned
1 red pepper, small dice
¼ red onion, finely diced
1 little gem lettuce, leaves washed and sliced
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
12 red grapes, seedless, cut in half
50g pack rocket salad
Method
For the chicken: mix the thighs, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, allow to stand covered in the fridge for 30 minutes. Place the thighs on the griddle over a hot heat and turn regularly until cooked through, there is no pink meat and the juices run clear (about 10-12 minutes). Slice the chicken and set aside.
For the dressing: place the egg in a bowl with the mustard, vinegar and lime juice. Whisk until well combined. Add the oils in a fine stream until an emulsified thin mayonnaise is formed. Add the honey and season with the cumin, salt and cayenne pepper then add freshly chopped coriander.
For the quinoa: in a pan on medium heat place the chicken stock, quinoa and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until liquid has been absorbed.
For the fried tortillas: place the oil in a medium-size pan over medium high heat and allow to come to 180ºC. Sprinkle the sliced tortillas in the oil until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tray lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
For the crystalised almonds: place the sugar in a pan with 150g water and over medium heat. Cook until it reaches 130ºC, add the almonds to the syrup and continue to stir until the almonds are evenly coated, white and crystalised. Remove the almonds from the pan and place on a tray that has been lined with greaseproof paper and allow to cool completely. Roughly chop.
To Finish: toss all of the ingredients together except the chicken and tortillas. Divide into 4 bowls or plates. Place the chicken thigh pieces on top of the salad and sprinkle with the crispy tortillas.
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