Lemon and mustard chicken salad with crispy shallots in gem boats
Using little gem lettuce leaves as vessels for salad is a great idea for a picnic. This salad can also be used to make a sandwich - simply pop a filled leaf into a pitta and enjoy both worlds. When picking the chicken off the bone, be careful to get rid of the top white grizzly bit on each thigh - it doesn't have the best texture and can make for a surprising mouthful. You can buy crispy shallots at most major supermarkets or Asian grocers.
A decent blanket, plenty of napkins, good libations and, most of all, a bountiful selection of delicious homemade things make for the best picnic. Planning to eat outdoors can be a fool's errand with the uncertain weather in this country, so make sure that all the elements you can control are as good as they can be. And if you do get the sunny day you were praying for, won't you be glad you have a good spread to celebrate it with? These picnic-ready recipes are from Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, co-founders of the Honey & Co restaurants and delis in London, known for their delicious, Middle Eastern-inspired food.
Next, why not try more picnic recipes, or more recipes from the Honey & Co co-founders?
Lemon and mustard chicken salad with crispy shallots in gem boats
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the chicken salad
To serve
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 220°C/fan oven 200°C/mark 7. In a large roasting tray, mix the chicken thighs with the ras el hanout, Its table salt and the lemon slices. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up, sprinkle with about tsp flaky sea salt (this helps the skin crisp up nicely) and roast for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Step 2
Remove the tray from the oven and baste the chicken a little in any juices. If no juices have formed, add 100ml water to the tin, mix it around and use that to baste. Reduce the temperature to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/mark 6 and roast for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Step 3
Carefully remove the crispy skin from the chicken and chop into thin strips. Pull the flesh off the bone in bite-sized pieces.
Step 4
For the salad, place the chicken pieces and skin into a large mixing bowl, add the remaining salad ingredients and stir to combine.
Step 5
To serve, place the little gem lettuce leaf boats on a large platter and fill them with the salad. Sprinkle all over with the crispy shallots.
