Smoked Chicken Springtime Salad

Adam Byatt’s Springtime Smoked Chicken Salad Recipe.

As demonstrated on Saturday Kitchen in April 2024, this fabulous recipe celebrates the pairing of new season’s asparagus, peas and broad beans with smoked chicken.

Serves  6

For the salad
80g/3oz new season Broad Beans, podded
80g/3oz fresh Peas, podded
6 Asparagus spears
2 Smoked Chicken Breasts– shredded
3 Little Gem lettuces
80g/3oz tiny boiled Pembroke Early Potatoes- boiled & chilled
2 Spring Onions, thinly sliced and in iced water
3 Radishes, thinly sliced and in iced water
Sea Salt and freshly ground black Pepper
Edible flowers, Salad Cress, Rocket Leaves

For the salad cream
2 Eggs, soft boiled for 5 minutes and peeled
15g/½oz Sugar
10g/⅓oz Sea Salt
35g/1¼oz Wine Vinegar
250ml/9fl oz Vegetable Oil
25ml/2 tbsp Double Cream

Blanch the broad beans and asparagus in boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Place in iced water to refresh.
Make the salad cream in a food processor. Blend the eggs, sugar, salt and vinegar with 100ml/3½fl oz water, then slowly drizzle in the oil with the blender on. Once the ingredients are fully combined, finish with the cream. Pass the dressing through a sieve and set aside.
Shred the chicken breasts into strips and set aside. Remove the leaves from the Little Gems, wash and transfer to the iced water.
Put the lettuce, potatoes, radish, peas, asparagus, broad beans and spring onions into a salad spinner to dry. Transfer to a large bowl with the chicken, toss with the salad cream and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the salad on a serving platter, and garnish with edible flowers, salad cress & rocket leaves. Serve with a jug of salad cream to share.

P.S. Lovage makes a beautiful addition to the salad if you have some in your garden or you can get your hands on it!

P.P.S This salad is equally delicious served with Oak Roasted Salmon!