Chicken Caesar Salad

Chef John’s salads are always a hit, so here’s another variation on a timeless classic. Chicken caesar salad uses little ingredients to create maximum flavour, and the dish is easily customisable to whatever you fancy. We’ve taken inspo from BBC Good Food for this one.

You can also boost this dish with extra veg, like cucumber, carrot, radishes and tomatoes. In this heat, veg with high water content (such as lettuce) is also great for staying hydrated.

Ingredients

Salad:

2 thick slices of bread (this can be white, wholemeal, or whatever you prefer)
2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 heads of lettuce, shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces
Seasonings: salt and pepper

Caesar dressing:

2 chopped anchovies
45 grams of Parmesan
1 garlic clove (or a teaspoon of garlic puree)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of mustard

Method:

For the dressing, mix the chopped anchovies and garlic into a fine paste. Some people use a pestle and mortar, but if you don’t have one just keep chopping the anchovies finely.
Mix this paste with the oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice and Dijon mustard until everything is thoroughly combined. Stir in the Parmesan, and season with salt and black pepper. You can set this aside in the fridge, and it will keep for up to three days.
To make the salad, heat your air fryer (or oven) to 180 degrees. Tear the bread into chunks and drizzle with oil from the anchovies. Season with salt and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Cut each chicken breast through the middle, without cutting all the way through (this technique is known as butterfly). Open up the chicken so you have one large flat piece, then season with salt and pepper.
Using a griddle pan, cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side, then set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
Put the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl, then put the lettuce and bread on top and give it a good mix to coat the lettuce. Add the chicken on top and you’re ready to eat!

And if you’re wanting dessert, have a look at Chef John’s pistachio and honey crème brûlée.