Spring Chicken Salad
A Caesar-adjacent salad with roast spatchcock chicken, lettuce, parmesan, and a bright, creamy dressing.
Ingredients
Equipment
Chicken:
- 1 whole chicken
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Salt and black pepper
Croutons:
- 5-6 slices Sourdough bread, cut into cubes
Salad:
- 2 heads Little Gem, torn or roughly chopped or 1 large head Romaine
- 5-6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 150g (1 cup) snap peas, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
- 1 small handful fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, chives, etc.)
Dressing:
- 2-4 tbsp mayonnaise (start with 2 tbsp, add more as needed)
- 1 clove clove, finely grated
- ¼-½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- ½ lemon, juiced, plus more to taste
- Olive oil, as needed
- Flaky salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Spatchcock the chicken: Place chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, carefully cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten.
- Roast the chicken: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place chicken on a sheet pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until golden and cooked through, about 40-50 minutes (depending on size). Rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Save the bones for stock.
- Make the croutons: Remove chicken from the pan. Add bread cubes to the pan drippings and toss to coat. Roast until golden and crisp.
- Prepare the salad: In a large bowl, combine lettuce, radishes, snap peas, and fresh herbs.
- Make the dressing: Add mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan, and a pinch of salt to a jar or measuring cup. Using an immersion blender, blend until combined. With the blender running, slowly stream in olive oil until the dressing loosens and emulsifies into a smooth, pourable consistency. Adjust with more olive oil, lemon juice, or salt to taste.
- Assemble: Toss salad with dressing and transfer to a serving platter. Top with carved chicken and croutons. Finish with fresh herbs and extra Parmesan.
Video
@heythereannao Spring chicken salad inspired by @Julius Roberts 🌱Spatchcocking a chicken is simpler than it looks and roasting your croutons in the chicken juices take it to a whole new level. I’ll be making this all spring!!🌼 salad chickencaesar springrecipes
♬ A sprinkle of happiness - asa palette cafe