Recipes

Andy Noonan’s ultimate barbecued chicken Caesar salad

Andy Noonan’s ultimate barbecued chicken Caesar salad. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Andy Noonan
Sat May 2 2020 - 05:55
Serves: 2
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 20 mins
Ingredients
  • 500g boneless, skinless free-range chicken thighs
  • 2-3 heads of baby gem lettuce, halved lengthways and washed
  • Parmesan, pecorino or Manchego cheese
  • FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated or mashed into a puree
  • 1tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • 1tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 2tbs olive oil
  • 1tsp fine sea salt
  • 1tsp cracked black pepper
  • ½tsp demerara sugar
  • 1tbs paprika
  • 1tsp chilli flakes
  • FOR THE SAUCE
  • 500ml good-quality free-range mayonnaise
  • 300ml organic cider vinegar
  • Thumb-sized piece of grated horseradish (or a small jar of creamed horseradish)
  • 100ml- 200ml of good-quality cloudy apple juice
  • 3tbs freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1tbs sweet paprika
  • Dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt

1. Combine the chicken marinade ingredients in a deep bowl or zip-lock bag, add chicken thighs, mix to coat and leave to marinade for two to three hours.

2. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. The sauce should be tangy and heavy on the pepper. The consistency should be loose but not runny. Adjust with more mayo if too runny, or a little more vinegar and apple juice if too thick. Play around with the sauce and season it to your liking. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes; making it up to a day in advance is ideal, to let the flavours develop.

3. When you have your barbecue ready to cook, place the chicken thighs in the middle of the grill and grill for three to four minutes, gently, until you have good colour but the chicken thighs are not burned.

4. Flip the chicken and brush the cooked side with a little marinade, cook for a further two minutes, and move to the hot side of the grill for a quick flash on each side to add some nice colour.

5.If you have any flare-ups while grilling, simply move the chicken to a cooler zone or turn the flame down. If you have a digital temperature probe, it should read 74 degrees. The cooking time will depend on the size if the chicken thighs. Once the chicken is fully cooked, set it aside on a warm plate to rest.

6. Brush the baby gem lettuce with a little oil and and a squeeze of lemon juice. On the hottest part of your grill, place them flat side down for two to three minutes; you’re looking for a nice golden colour with slightly charred edges. Flip and cook for a further one to two minutes. The lettuce should be a little soft and charred on the outside while retaining a good crunch and structure on the inside.Set it aside to cool.

7. To assemble, put the lettuce on a plate and drizzle with a little of the sauce. Slice the chicken thighs on the diagonal into pencil-width slices and roughly arrange over the lettuce. Drizzle more sauce over the top and add some Manchego, Parmesan or pecorino shavings. Serve lukewarm or cold. Don’t dress the salad with the sauce until serving it.

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