Chicken Caesar Salad with Kale, Brussel Sprouts and Smokey Rye Croutons

Description

This hearty chicken Caesar salad combines the crispness of finely shaved brussels sprouts and kale leaves paired with tender chicken tenderloins, perfect for a satisfying fresh meal.

Ingredients

Salad

• 500 grams of chicken tenderloins
• 3 thick slices of rye sourdough bread
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• generous pinch of cayenne pepper
• 500 grams of brussells sprouts
• 6 leaves of kale, stems removed and very finely sliced
• 6 free range eggs
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese, finely grated for sprinkling
• sea salt
• black pepper, cracked
• olive oil, for roasting and sautéing

Traditional Caesar Dressing

• 1 clove of garlic
• 5 anchovies
• Juice of 1 of lemon
• ½ cup of mayonnaise
• ½ cup of parmesan cheese, finely grated
• black pepper, cracked

Equipment

Instructions

Croutons

• Preheat oven to 160°C.
• Tear the bread into rough chunks. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika, cayenne pepper and a generous seasoning of sea salt and cracked black pepper.
• Bake for 25 minutes until browned and crunchy. Can be made up to 4 hours in advance. If storing, allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container in the pantry.

Dressing

• Combine the anchovies and garlic in a mortar and pestle.
• Pound until a smooth paste.
• Add the remaining ingredients, mix really well and add cracked black pepper to taste.

To assemble

• Use a mandolin to finely shave the brussels sprouts. Thinly shred the kale. Combine with the dressing and mix well. Let the dressing soften the salad for 10 minutes.
• Heat a skillet or grill pan over a high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle a little oil in the pan and cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully drop the eggs into this. Cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, run under cold water and peel carefully. Cut in half.
• Divide the salad between 4 plates. Top with the eggs, chicken, croutons and extra grated parmesan. Serve immediately.

Notes

Contains dairy, meat and gluten.  Use gluten free sourdough to make your recipe gluten free.

Recipe credit: Bird and Barrow/Brinks