Dinner Tonight: Chicken, Potato, and Chipotle Salad
I was a doubter all the way. I had picked this recipe for chicken, potato, and chipotle salad because I just happened to have all the ingredients ready to go. But things kept bugging me and I worried that the salad would just taste like bland poached chicken heaped on a messy salad. Of course, I should have just shut up and gone with the flow. It was a recipe by Rick Bayless, my favorite cookbook author, for goodness sake. I should know that I can trust him.
And when everything was combined and plated, I realized I had absolutely no reason to worry. Each ingredient is treated with utmost respect. The chicken is gently poached so it comes out tender and juicy, and since the dressing gets time to marry with the most of the ingredients, each bite is flavorful, smoky, and just slightly spicy.
Surprisingly, even with all the flavor of the chilies, my favorite part of the salad was the potatoes. Although they are simply boiled, the carrots they are boiled with lend their sweetness. Each bite is a revelation. I'll never doubt Bayless again.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a freelance writer in Chicago and the co-founder of The Paupered Chef.
Chicken, Potato, and Chipotle Salad
- serves 2 -
Adapted from Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless.
Ingredients
1 chicken leg and thigh, or 1 breast
1 teaspoon salt
2 small waxy potatoes, halved
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 chipotles en adobo, chopped
1/2 onion, half diced and half thinly sliced
1/2 head of lettuce (green leaf, romaine or bibb), washed and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Procedure
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the chicken and half of the salt and reduce the heat to medium. If you're using dark meat cook for 23 minutes; white meat only needs 13. When done remove the meat and when cool enough to handle shred with your fingers or two forks. Toss in a bowl.
2. In another medium pot, add the potatoes, carrots, and a pinch of salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 12 minutes. Drain and run the potatoes and carrots under cold water until cool. Chop into half inch pieces. Toss in the bowl with the chicken.
3. Take 3 tablespoons of the liquid that the chicken cooked in and pour it over the chicken and potato mixture. Add to that the vinegar, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, onion, and the chipotles. Stir well and set aside for 15 minutes or so.
4. Add the lettuce to a large bowl. Drizzle the oil on top of the leaves. Add the chicken mixture and the chopped avocado. Season with salt if necessary. Garnish with the thinly sliced onion.
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2 Comments:
I'm going to have to give this a try. And I agree with you about Rick Bayless. I was a skeptic at first, but his dishes are wonderful and he's the only cookbook author I've found whose spice levels are right to our tastes (in other words, I don't ever have to wonder how much *more* heat to add!).
Mhlia at 12:25PM on 04/30/09
I really want to try some of these chipotle recipes that have been coming trough recently, BUT - I live abroad, and fresh mexican chiles are impossible to find.
I can get the chipotles dried - but, um, what's "en adobo" taste like? How do I adjust for dried peppers??
America! Europe needs your help! (yes, again...) ;)
JimInHolland at 5:40AM on 05/01/09