The name of this salad is maybe only a double entendre to Quebeckers who made it through last year’s student protests, aka maple spring. But this is a salad for all — student or not, protester or not. Because food, after all, is a great unifier. And if anything can unify, then this salad can.
…or maybe chocolate.
No, lets stick with the salad. Think of it as the minimum required effort to get what you want. Skip the rhyming protest chants. And definitely skip the vuvuzelas.
It’s just a delicious salad. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Maple Spring Salad with Roasted Chicken and Lemon Potatoes
Serves 4
2 chicken thighs and 1 breast (or all breasts if you like really dry meat…)
12 new potatoes (the small ones, or grelot potatoes), scrubbed but not peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon
2 tbsp cinnamon, nutmeg and five spice Pure Infused maple syrup
Juice of 2 lemons (or 1/2 cup lemon juice)
Juice of a small orange
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup dry sherry
3/4 cup vegetable broth
6 cups spinach
scant 1/4 cup natural almonds, soaked overnight and dehydrated (or just blanched and toasted)
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Cut the potatoes in half or into quarters if large. Combine the oil, mustard, maple syrup, lemon and orange juices, pepper and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a blender. Blend to emulsify. Pour 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette into a small bowl and reserve. Add the sherry and broth to the remaining liquid in the blender and re-blend. Pour into a large bowl and add the potatoes.
Coat the potatoes in the liquid and then transfer the contents of the bowl to a baking dish (liquid and all). Use the chicken thighs and breast to wipe out the bowl (which also seasons the chicken) and then place the chicken on a plate or in a dish in the fridge until needed. Cover the potatoes with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, turn the potatoes and place the chicken pieces on top. Return to oven and bake 30-35 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through, turning the potatoes halfway through if they start to stick. Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into smaller pieces.
Place potatoes and chicken in a large salad bowl with the spinach and almonds. Add the reserved vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
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