For a server, life is a bit cruel. The juiciest, richest, most aromatic and most colorful fruits are born at a time when I, on the other hand, become an amorphous, hypotensive and immobile mass. Apricots, medlars, brevas and peaches are just a few examples of the wide range of fruits that we have available in these months when the suffocating heat begins. The positive thing is that we can incorporate them into the star dish par excellence in times of reluctance: the salad.
When I talk about salads, my little eyes light up like fireflies that illuminate a path of peace and safety in a dark forest. In general, they meet all the important points of what a summer meal must have: speed, simplicity and versatility, and they can also include a wide variety of foods in a single dish. In this case, we are going to use chicken as the base of our salad: poached, juicy and cold, accompanied by a large amount of coriander and basil, medlars, feta cheese and the acidity and freshness of the lime. Spicy? Also, if you so desire: I personally find the jalapeño to be a particularly aromatic chili and, therefore, it goes perfectly with dishes of this style. The result is a fresh, fruity and aromatic dish that is prepared without complication.
In this salad we can replace practically all the ingredients with things that you have more on hand: the shallots with purple onions; lime for lemon; chicken for any protein you have in the fridge -beef, pork, tofu, etc-, although it is always advisable to have a couple of poached breasts in the fridge or freezer for emergencies. Loquats can be swapped out for nectarines, for example, although finding a nice, ripe, juicy loquat feels like hitting the Holy Grail, so I encourage you to do some searching. The important thing, in the end, is to have a citrus dish, fresh and in which the sweetness of the seasonal fruit perfectly accompanies the protein base.
Difficulty
Strengthen ties with your nearest greengrocer so that it saves you the best medlars it has.
Ingredients
For 2 persons
- 350g chicken breast
- 5 ripe medlars
- 40g feta cheese
- 15 g fresh coriander (stem and leaf)
- 10 large basil leaves
- 1 jalapeno
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- 2 shallots
- The zest and juice of one lime (or a small, juicy lemon)
- Half a teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
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Fill a saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breast and lower the heat to a minimum (not bubbling). Cook with a lid between 15 and 20 minutes.
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When the chicken is done, transfer to very cold water with ice and refrigerate.
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Peel the medlars and cut them into six pieces, removing the epithelium from the heart. Chop the coriander and basil. Slice the jalapeño, tomatoes, and shallots.
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Dry the chicken and shred it. Mix with the ingredients that we have prepared. Add the lime zest and juice, crumbled feta cheese, salt, pepper, and oil. Mix and serve.
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#Chicken #medlar #feta #salad