Tom Hopkins
Roast Chicken on Garlicky Salad
One of my favorite combinations is roast chicken cut into pieces and served on a Boston lettuce salad topped with a bit of sautéed chopped onion and parsley and the juices from the chicken. i usually roast my own chicken, but when I am in a bind, I bur a freshly roasted rotisserie chicken. Dark brown, shiny, and juicy the cooked chicken is perfect with my salad.
I wanted to show Shorey how to use the supermarket in the hat Possible way, and how you can transform an ordinary chicken, making it your own, with a bit of imagination and know-how. I demonstrated how to carve the bird into eight or ten pieces with kitchen shears and arrange these pieces on young, tender Boston lettuce leaves spread out on a large platter. Sautéing a mixture of garlic, scallions, and shallots in olive oil and sprinkling that on top gives the dish a personal delicious touch. This dish should be served lukewarm or at room temperature, not ice-cold.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1 head Boston lettuce (5 to 6 ounces), preferably hydroponic
- I rotisserie chicken (about 2 pounds), plus ¼ to ⅓ cup of the cooking juices
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅔ cup sliced scallions
- ½ cup coarsely chopped shallots 1½ tablespoons chopped garlic (4 or 5 cloves)
Method
- Separate the lettuce into leaves and arrange them on a large platter. Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut the chicken into 8 to 10 pieces (that includes the backbones, neck, wings, etc.) and arrange them on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle the chicken and salad with the salt and pepper.
- At serving time, make the garnish: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the scallions, shallots, and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the chicken cooking juices and stir well.
- Sprinkle the garnish on top of the chicken and salad. Serve immediately.
Recipe Source
A Grandfather's Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey
The grand master of cooking has a new apprentice in the kitchen: his granddaughter.