Tamari-Glazed Chicken Salad With Avocado, Pepitas & Hard-Boiled Eggs
Southeast Asian flavors run through this nice contrast of hot chicken over cold salad. They’re bound together by the marinade, which is boiled after seasoning the chicken so it can be turned into the salad dressing.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Ingredients
Glazed chicken
- 1⁄3 cup reduced-sodium gluten-free tamari
- 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp cayenne hot sauce
- 1 garlic clove, grated on a Microplane
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated on a Microplane
- 1 1⁄2-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated on a Microplane
- Zest of 1⁄4 lemon
- 4 chicken legs
Salad
- 5 oz spring mix
- 1⁄2 shallot, very thinly sliced
- 1⁄2 English cucumber, cut into 3⁄4-inch chunks
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 carrots, scrubbed and shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- 1⁄2 bunch cilantro, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, very thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp pepitas (aka hulled pumpkin seeds)
- Pinch sea salt, plus additional salt to taste
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 Just-Right Boiled Eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise, optional
Preparation
1. Prepare glazed chicken: In a shallow dish that will hold the chicken snugly, combine tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, fish sauce, hot sauce, garlic, ginger, turmeric and lemon zest. Debone chicken legs by running a sharp knife along the bones to create a slit, exposing the bones. Open the slits and slide the knife under the bones to scrape the meat away and release the bones. Save the bones for another use. Add chicken to marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, place chicken skin side down in a single layer in a 9 x 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Transfer marinade to a small saucepan. Bake chicken for 18 minutes; boil marinade for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and brush with just enough of boiled marinade to coat skin. Turn oven to broil and broil chicken for 5 minutes.
3. While chicken cooks, prepare salad. In a large bowl, combine spring mix, shallot, cucumber, avocado, carrots, cilantro, chile and pepitas. Sprinkle with pinch salt and toss to mix.
4. Add lime juice to marinade and whisk well. Drizzle over salad and toss until well coated. Divide salad among 4 serving dishes and top each with an egg half (if using). Sprinkle each egg half with salt, to taste.
5. Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks and scatter hot pieces over salad. Drizzle any juices from baking dish over chicken. Serve immediately.
Tip: I like chicken legs because of the different textures of the thigh and drumstick, but I also like deboning them so they cook more evenly.
JUST-RIGHT BOILED EGGS (optional)
Makes 4 eggs.
1. Fill a large bowl with 4 cups ice and 2 cups cold water. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a rolling boil.
2. Use a large spoon to carefully add 4 eggs to boiling water. Cook for 6½ minutes. As soon as the timer goes off, transfer eggs to ice water. Let eggs cool completely.
3. Carefully peel eggs and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe reprinted from Real Food Heals by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Seamus Mullen.