DIETERS' DELIGHT CHICKEN, HAM & HARVEST FRUIT SALAD;

An dish to celebrate summer's end, with the help of supermarket friends...

from the Archive

Crisp juicy harvest fruit teams with succulent meats in a magnificent low-carb salad  'Bliss.  Has everything one could want in a salad.' 
                                                                                                                                                updated aug/19

This salad was first served at a pretty hotel overlooking a ferry terminal in Mallaig, Inverneshire; the guests loved it.  It's adapted from Robert Carrier, one of the first modern tv chefs and a master at translating classic French cuisine into home cooking.  

Rotisserie chicken, a bit of ham, good English harvest fruit & veg creates an  unforgettable main course salad.  The flavours and textures are delightful together, especially the hum of heat in the background.  

There is a bit of chopping but much of the salad can be prepared the night before.  Consider it an opportunity to form bonds over lunch prep.   

The salad isn't frugal but none of the ingredients are expensive and it feeds a lot of people. Make it go further with baked sweet potatoes, bread rolls or Flaky Savoury Biscuits and gorgeously scented vine tomatoes. 

Dessert is an I'm on Holiday Too! Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake.

Cost: £7'ish
Feeds: 8 with sides

Ingred:
  450g/1 lb cooked chicken, skin removed (supermarket rotisserie is fine) 
  175g/6 oz cooked ham or salt beef
  2 large or 4 small oranges
  1 c/240 ml yoghurt-mayo & zest & juice of a lemon

  4 stalks celery, peeled & thinly sliced
  1 lge green pepper, seeded, cored and finely diced
  4 radishes, in matchsticks 
  2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
  4 tsp finely chopped fresh chives or spring onion tops
  2 eating apples 
  8 drops tabasco or 1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes
  generous pinch cinnamon (opt)
  s & p
  soft lettuce leaves, and extra chopped chives & parsley to garnish.

Method:

1. Cut chicken and ham in 1in/2 cm cubes.
2. Remove segments from oranges (see below)
3. Mix yoghurt-mayo with lemon zest & juice, Tabasco or chilli flakes, cinnamon, if using, and s&p.
4. 1-3 can be made the night before, covered and refrigerated
5. When ready to serve, combine meat & oranges in large bowl with celery, pepper, radish and herbs
6. Cut apples in 1/2 inch/1 cm dice and add to yoghurt-mayo, coating apples so they do not brown; remove from yog-mayo; mix with rest of salad
7. Gradually add more dressing to salad until the ingredients are moist but not wet. Refrigerate a couple of hours.
8. Serve on bed of lettuce, garnished with chives and parsley.

Comments:

'One of my all-time favourites - it has everything I like: crunch, succulence, a bit of salt, a bit of sweet, lots of salad vegetables.  And a lovely lower-fat dressing! Bliss.' Retired writer  

3. Carefully push down, up & out

Segmenting an Orange:

1. Slice off top, bottom & sides.

2. Slide knife between segments

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.