Smoked Chicken, Melon and Hazelnut Salad

, from Issue #15. September, 2015
Photography by Damien Van Der Vlist.
Smoked Chicken, Melon and Hazelnut Salad

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

1 whole smoked chicken or a double smoked chicken breast
1 small telegraph cucumber
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 honeydew melon, peeled and sliced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
½ cup hazelnuts

Dressing
200 grams crème fraîche
2 finely chopped spring onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped mint
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in the oven until golden. Tip onto a tea towel and rub off the skins before chopping them roughly.

Pull the meat off the chicken and discard the skin, bones and any fat. Shred the meat into long strips.

Lightly peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut on the diagonal into long slices.

Soak the onion in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry in a clean tea towel.

Dressing: Place the dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season.

To serve: Put the chicken, cucumber, red onions, melon and the avocado in a bowl. Add half the hazelnuts, drizzle with a little dressing and gently turn to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl and scatter over the remaining hazelnuts. Serve the rest of the dressing separately.