This saffron chicken and herb salad adapted from a recipe created by the chefs at Ottolenghi in Belgravia is fresh and packed with zingy citrus flavour. It would also work well made with leftover roast chicken or pork.
Trim and discard 1cm/½in off the top and bottom of the orange and cut into 12 wedges. Place in a small pan with the saffron, honey, vinegar and enough water to just cover the orange wedges.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, at which stage most of the liquid should have evaporated to produce a thick syrup and the orange will be very soft.
Use a food processor or liquidiser to blitz to a purée, adding am little more water of required.
Flatten the chicken breast between two sheets of cling film or parchment until about 1cm/ ½in thick. Toss with 2 tablespoon of the oil some a salt and pepper. Cook on a hot griddle pan for about 5 minutes each side or until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.
Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to cool slightly, then use two forks to shred the chicken into bitesize pieces. Place in a large bowl with half the orange purée and stir well. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together before serving.
Notes
The remaining orange dressing can be kept in the fridge for several days. It would work well in a salad of rocket leaves and served with grill fish.Nutrition information is approximate and is meant as a guideline only. (It does not include seasoning with salt and pepper.)