Chicken Thigh Caesar Salad

1. I’m not a fan of white chicken meat, I just don’t like it, so I prefer to make chicken Caesar with chicken thighs. They have enough meat to make the salad filling. In season, when all the vegetables are available, we use romaine, and in winter almost always leaf lettuce or oak leaf. For variety we add quite a lot of mixed herbs, mostly basil and parsley, and often cilantro.

   

Toasting the croutons

1. We get the best toasted croutons from a French baguette. Very fresh bread can be tricky to toast, so the baguette should sit for about a day. It dries out a little and the croutons come out perfect.

2. Cut up the baguette: cut off the crust and cut the crumb into cubes, the size you’d cut bread for garlic rye croutons to go with beer.

3. Toast the bread cubes. Brush the bottom of a skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil, heat it over medium heat and add the cubes. Stirring constantly, toast until golden and dry. Tip the hot croutons onto a plate and cover with a paper towel until completely cool.

   

Preparing the chicken

1. Prepare the chicken thighs. Thaw them if they were frozen. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Carefully cut out the bone and all the cartilage from each thigh; it’s unpleasant to bite into in a salad. Remove the skin and trim any visible fat.

   

   Pound the meat very lightly. The goal isn’t to make it thinner or break the fibers, only to even out the thickness of the pieces.

2. Cook the chicken on a grill pan. Salt it lightly and sprinkle with a pinch of sweet paprika and black pepper. Brush the pan with a little vegetable oil and heat it well. Put the chicken thigh pieces in the pan and cook over medium heat until done, about 5 minutes per side: no pink when cut, and the juices run clear. Chicken cooks quickly, but remember that the meat for chicken Caesar must be fully cooked.

   

   Let the cooked chicken cool completely, or at least until just warm.

Dressing

1. Unlike the original Caesar dressing, we decided not to use a coddled egg or garlic. It’s best to make the dressing right before serving the salad.

2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil left from toasting the bread (all that didn’t go into the croutons), 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 0.5 tsp of Worcestershire sauce. Add a pinch of salt, some pepper and a pinch of paprika. Whisk the mixture with a fork; it emulsifies well.

   

Mixing the greens and chicken

1. Prepare the lettuce and herbs. Wash the romaine leaves and all the herbs and dry them thoroughly: no moisture should get into the salad. Then tear the lettuce into pieces with your fingers, not too big and not too small. Don’t cut it with a knife: it loses juice and the chicken salad gets soggy. Do the same with the herbs: remove the tough stems and tear the leaves with your fingers; these can be small. Mix the romaine with the herbs, season with a pinch of salt and toss gently.

   

2. Slice the chicken and add it to the greens. Cut the cooled chicken into thick strips across the grain. A very sharp knife works best so the chicken doesn’t fall apart. Add to the lettuce and herbs and toss gently.

   

Serving

1. Pile the salad in the center of salad bowls or plates. By the way, the salad doesn’t stick to your hands, so you can do this without a spoon. Drizzle with the dressing; no need to toss. Add the croutons around the edge of the plate and sprinkle the whole salad with finely grated Parmesan.

   

   The salad is ready to serve as an appetizer. With more meat, chicken Caesar can easily be served as a main course. The salad doesn’t need chilling, and the chicken in it can be slightly warm.