Mexican | Grilled Tequila Chicken Salad with Mango, Avocado, & Cumin Dressing
Posted on June 20, 2011
We love this salad so much that we had it two nights in a row. It's great for summer patio dining. In the dressing, the recipe calls for 3/4 cup rice bran, canola, or peanut oil, but I use olive oil.
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
CHICKEN
8 jalapeno chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded (optional)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup tequila
several dashes of hot sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 half chicken breasts, boned, skin left on (or boneless, easier to cut up for salad)
kosher sea salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
sweet paprika, to taste
DRESSING
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup oil (rice bran, canola, or peanut) (or olive oil)
kosher sea salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
SALAD
1 pound mixed lettuces, rinsed and crisped
1 large ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and sliced
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
Method
CHICKEN
Place the roasted jalapenos in a blender or food processor with the orange juice and puree until smooth. Transfer to a nonreactive container, and combine with the lemon juice, tequila, hot sauce, onion, and garlic, and mix well. Marinate the chicken in the orange juice mixture overnight in the refrigerator.
One hour before grilling, remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Grill on a preheated grill 3 to 4 minutes each side. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing on the bias.
DRESSING
Whisk the shallot, cumin, lime juice, and oils together in a small bowl until completely emulsified. Stir in the seasonings and adjust to taste.
SALAD
Place the greens, mangoes, and avocado in a large salad bowl, and toss with 3 tablespoons of the dressing, adding more dressing as needed. Arrange the greens on a platter or individual plates, place the sliced chicken on top, and sprinkle with more dressing if desired.
(Ref. Home Chef's "Grilled Chicken Tequila Salad with Mango, Avocado, and Cumin Dressing" recipe, "South of the Border" class.)