FLOWER POT KITCHEN: BBQ CHIPOTLE CHICKEN CREAMY SALAD

5 Jun 2018

BBQ CHIPOTLE CHICKEN CREAMY SALAD

BEST EVER SUCCULENT CHICKEN

I have a fool proof most succulent juicy cooked chicken method that works every time, it's a simple cook that guarantees a perfect tender melt in the mouth chicken breasts every time. This gorgeous BBQ seasoned seared succulent chicken salad is smothered in a rich creamy Dijon chipotle olive oil mayonnaise with a hint of apple cider vinegar, kinda undecided on southern sweet or Carolina vinegar based BBQ, I'm sweet my husbands sour, so I married them both together! Sweet and sour a perfect marriage, 25yrs in and only 45 yrs old some recipes just work.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 18 minutes

Ingredients

(serves 2-3)

3 chicken breasts

5 tbsp chipotle BBQ spice rub

1 good pinch sea salt

1 good pinch black pepper

1 cup water

Olive Oil Mayonnaise

(or store brought)

1 egg yolk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

200-300ml olive oil

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch black pepper

1 pinch ground chipotle powder

Salad

I like crunchy chopped iceberg lettuce

1 tbps chopped jalapeños

1 tbsp shredded cheese

1 spring onion chopped

1 handful microgreens

(the choice us yours)

Pre heat your oven to 180 C / 370 F, rub your chicken all over with you seasoning and chipotle BBQ rub generously, place the breasts in your roasting pan along with a couple of cups of water, your roasting pan wants to have a lid, if not use foil to make a seal. Bake in the oven for 18 minutes, remove the roasting pan and leave the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, this will allow the chicken to relax and ensure the best ever juiciest chicken.

The Mayonnaise

Place the egg yolk and apple cider vinegar in a large jug or bowl whisk together and start to drizzle the olive oil in very very slowly while continually whisking, you will feel the yolk thicken and emulsify with the oil at this point you can add the oil a lot faster, when you have the thickness you want stop adding the oil, season with salt, pepper, chipotle powder and Dijon. This will store in the fridge for up to a week in a ball mason jar.

Once your chicken has rested just shred the tender meat, toss in some of the mayonnaise and stir through your chopped salad and your good to go.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.