- 4
Ingredients
- For the Salad:
- 1/2 * 1/2 cup raisins
- 5 * About 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 * 8 ounces rustic white bread, coarsely torn
- 3 * 3 cups leftover cooked chicken, torn into pieces
- 5 * 5 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 * 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 4-1/2 * 4-1/2 ounces salad greens (baby spinach and arugula are good)
- For the Dressing:
- 2 * 2 tablespoons medium-dry sherry
- 1 * 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 * 1-1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 * 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- * Salt and pepper
- * Good pinch of sugar
- 5 * 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Step 1
1. Pour boiling water over the raisins and leave them to plump up for 15 minutes or so. Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing, except the oil. Using a fork, whisk these while steadily pouring in the oil. Set aside.
2. Heat half the oil for the salad in a frying pan and sauté the bread pieces all over until golden and crisp. Throw these into a broad shallow bowl. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, season the chicken pieces, and heat through thoroughly. Toss on top of the bread.
3. Toast the pine nuts in the frying pan: they don't need oil – just cook them while agitating the pan a little, until golden (it takes about 30 seconds; watch so they don't burn). Put these into the salad bowl and add the drained raisins and the capers. Throw in the salad greens, add the dressing, and toss. Serve immediately.
VARIATION: do the dressing with canned chickpeas or pinto beans (two of the most flavorful, yet easy to find beans we've got). Don't heat the beans, but let them sit in the dressing while you prep everything else. The beans and bread combo gives you a complete protein, and is especially good with a whole-grain, chewy bread.