Dinner Tonight: Warm Chicken Salad with Arugula, Capers, and Pine Nuts
"I polished off this dish like it was steak."
This may sound like an awfully simple salad, but something about it is so much more. I found the recipe on Orangette after searching around for ways to use arugula and roast chicken leftovers. The recipe looked like a perfect use of both, but I didn't think about it much beyond that. I hoped it would be tasty—I didn't realize it would be approaching revelatory.
I polished off this dish like it was a steak. There's something strange and wonderful about the way bitter arugula wilts underneath warm chicken, and the tart dressing ties it all together. I substituted tomatoes for bell peppers, added some capers, and discarded the croutons. Anything you add will probably work out as long as you keep the chicken and arugula. I honestly couldn't put my fork down.
Warm Chicken Salad with Arugula, Capers and Pine Nuts
- serves 2 -
Adapted from Orangette.
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 roasted chicken, pulled
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon capers, drained
A couple handfuls of arugula
2 tomatoes, sliced thinly
Parmesan shavings
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
1. Combine the mustard, red wine vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
2. Toss the pine nuts in a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Toast for a minute or so, stirring occasionally. Make sure they don't turn black.
3. Warm the chicken in either small pan or in the microwave. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the dressing.
3. Add the arugula to a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the dressing. Taste some of the arugula and add more dressing if it needs it. Divide the arugula between two bowls. Top with the sliced tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, capers, shaved Parmesan and warmed chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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3 Comments:
Beer can chicken is on tomorrow night's menu. The leftovers were going to become chicken and biscuits Wednesday, but seeing this has me changing my mind. Thanks!
dhorst at 6:30PM on 08/31/09
This looks delicious. I love orangette and the simplicity of her recipes. you're right, there really is something about wilted arugula and the peppery bite it gives all savory dishes.
BigGirlPhoebz at 9:15AM on 09/01/09
Man, I whipped some of this up this weekend to make use of some leftover arugula, and it was incredible! I used a mix of walnuts and pine nuts and left out the capers (I didn't feel like making a run to the store), and the vinaigrette was to die for! Thanks!
misplacedtexan at 10:12AM on 09/08/09