Arranged Salad

 

 

 



 

Dinner parties need some elements that can be made ahead.  An arranged salad fills this requirement and can sit in the fridge until needed if there is no dressing on the salad and it is well covered with plastic wrap. 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cooked chicken

32 ounces of chicken broth

1 tsp. of garlic powder

2 bay leaves

 

1/2 head of romaine lettuce, broken into pieces (not cut with a knife)

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

tiny plum tomatoes

1/2 lb. of prosciutto

2 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup of smoked cooked bacon

1/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese (salty Tuscan sheep cheese --- get the imported kind)

croutons

 

Chicken Preparation:

I usually roast a very small chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder until well cooked.  Take it out of the oven and put it in a stock pot, filling the stock pot with broth, bay leaves and a little more garlic powder.  Allow the chicken to simmer until the bones are separating from the poultry.  Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool completely.  Reserve the broth. 

 

NOTE FOR BUSY COOKS:  you can eliminate the roasting of a chicken by purchasing a whole, roasted chicken from your local market.  You will still need to poach the chicken in chicken broth (additionally, you can throw in a little dry white wine).

 

Bone the chicken when it has cooled.  Discard the bones.  You will only need half of the chicken so save the remaining chicken and put stock in containers to be frozen.  Do not add chicken to salad until it is completely cooled or it will wilt the lettuce.

 

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Take a lovely platter and arrange a bed of lettuce.  I usually leave the middle less filled in order to build the salad up in the platter.  Your greens should be extremely crisp. 

 

Add the remaining components, starting with the chicken.  Sprinkle the bacon on top of the salad when you have added all other ingredients.   To finish the salad, sprinkle on the grated cheese and add the croutons.  (Any cheese will work...be creative.  Croutons can be home made or purchased.)

Also, the choice of ingredients is totally up to the home chef.  Other items that make this salad interesting are:  olives; pickles; capers; chives or scallions; etc.

 

When you are satisfied creatively, cover the salad with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until serving time.  Offer a choice of dressings. 

 

Preparation time is minimal if you use an already cooked chicken.  Although it looks like you spent an hour making this salad, it really is more like five to ten minutes.