Name: Chicken salad with asparagus and quinoa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200 gm quinoa, rinsed (1 cup); 2 tbsp olive oil; 6 skinless chicken thigh fillets; 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1cm pieces; 2 salad onions, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 3 cups watercress sprigs (firmly packed); 1 cup mint (firmly packed); Tarragon-buttermilk dressing; 125 ml buttermilk (½ cup); 60 gm mayonnaise; 35 ml lemon juice; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 1 tbsp finely chopped French tarragon; 1 small garlic clove, crushed

If you’ve got the time, toast the quinoa in a little grapeseed oil until it’s golden brown before adding the water – it adds a great nutty flavour that works well with the asparagus. You’ll want to use this method every time you cook quinoa.

Ingredients

200 gm quinoa, rinsed (1 cup)

2 tbsp olive oil

6 skinless chicken thigh fillets

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1cm pieces

2 salad onions, thinly sliced on a mandolin

3 cups watercress sprigs (firmly packed)

1 cup mint (firmly packed)

Tarragon-buttermilk dressing

125 ml buttermilk (½ cup)

60 gm mayonnaise

35 ml lemon juice

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp finely chopped French tarragon

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Method

1.Preheat oven to 220°C. Bring quinoa and 300ml water to the boil in a saucepan, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked (10-12 minutes). Spread on a large tray to cool.

2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat and fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown (5-6 minutes). Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast until just cooked through (4-6 minutes). Rest for 5 minutes, then shred.

3.Blanch asparagus until bright green (30 seconds to 1 minute), refresh and drain, then combine in a large bowl with quinoa, chicken, salad onion, watercress and mint.

4.For tarragon-buttermilk dressing, whisk ingredients in a small bowl to combine and season to taste. Drizzle over salad to taste, toss to combine and serve.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Styling by Emma Knowles

Ingredients

Method

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