Salad ~ The Main Attraction!
My salad of chicken, caramelized pears, and almonds with a light vinaigrette will take center stage for a luncheon or dinner entrée. Buy ripe, but firm, bosc pears for best results. The dressing improves in flavor if made a few hours in advance – even a day ahead! The combination of color, flavor, and texture is sure to delight the eye and the palate. Enjoy!
Salad wtih Chicken, Caramelized Pears and Almonds
Serves 4
| Pears: |
|
| 2 |
Bosc pears, cored and cut into eighths, peel left on |
| 1 cup |
Sliced Almonds |
| 3 Tbsp |
Unsalted Butter |
| 1/2 cup |
Sugar |
| 1/3 cup |
Water |
| |
|
| Chicken: |
|
| 2 |
Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves |
| |
Salt and pepper, to taste |
| |
All-purpose flour for dredging |
| 1/4 cup |
Wholegrain Dijon Mustard |
| |
Kinloch Pecan Oil |
| |
|
| Dressing: |
|
| 2 Tbsp |
Minced shallots |
| 1/4 cup |
Honey Ridge Honey Balsamic Vinegar |
| 1 Tbsp |
Lemon Juice |
| 1 tsp |
Dry Mustard |
| 1/2 cup |
A Perfect Pair Extra-Virgin Pear Olive Oil |
| 2 tsp |
Fresh Herbs (such as thyme, tarragon, or flat-leaf parsley) |
| 1 tsp |
Dried lavender flowers (or two tsp fresh) |
| |
|
| Salad: |
|
| 4 cups |
Mixed Spring Greens |
| 1/2 |
English Cucumber, peel left on, halved and thinly sliced |
| 1/4 small |
Red onion, thinly sliced |
| 3 oz |
Crumbled gorgonzola (sprinkled on before serving) |
To prepare the pears: Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add pears and almonds and sauté until slightly golden. Add sugar and water, stirring continuously, allowing the mixture to caramelize. When golden, remove from heat. Spread pears and almonds out onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet and separate immediately. Allow to cool.
To prepare the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Spread one side with wholegrain Dijon mustard. Heat a small amount of Kinloch Pecan Oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sear chicken, mustard side down first, about 3 minutes, turn, and cook the second side about 2 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
To prepare the dressing: In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients until smooth. Gradually add the Extra-virgin Pear Olive Oil until the mixture is emulsified. Chill until serving time.
To serve the salad: Arrange all salad ingredients on chilled plates. Top with chicken, pears, and almonds, drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with crumbled Gorgonzola. Garnish with additional Fresh Herbs and serve immediately.
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