Sesame-Miso Chicken Salad
There’s always room for another chicken salad recipe, especially if the assembly is quick. This one calls for a whole cooked chicken, which you can roast or boil gently several hours ahead or up to 2 days in advance. (Some may choose to buy a precooked rotisserie chicken, but it can sometimes be hard to find one that is seasoned or cooked properly. If you can find a good one, go for it.) The creamy miso dressing can also be used to dress a green salad, or to replace mayonnaise on a sandwich. It also makes a great dip for vegetables.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 2tablespoons Asian sesame paste or tahini
- 4tablespoons white (shiro) miso
- 3tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
- 1tablespoon mirin, sake or sherry
- 1teaspoon grated ginger
- ½teaspoon sugar
- ½teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ½teaspoon roasted sesame oil
- ¼cup vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
- Small pinch of cayenne (optional)
- 1(3-pound) chicken, cooked
- 2heads small organic iceberg, Little Gems or romaine hearts
- 2medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick, lightly salted
- 3tablespoons thinly sliced scallions or chives
- 1teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- 1teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Put sesame paste, miso, vinegar, mirin, ginger, sugar and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Whisk in sesame and vegetable oils. Check seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and cayenne, if using. You should have about 2/3 cup dressing. If it seems too thick, thin with a tablespoon or 2 of water.Step 2
Remove skin from chicken and pull all the meat from the carcass. With fingers or a knife, shred all the chicken meat into 1-inch strips and put in a medium mixing bowl. (Refrigerate or freeze any remaining skin, fat, bones and cartilage for making broth.) You should have about 4 cups shredded chicken.Step 3
Separate the lettuce leaves and arrange on a large platter, leaving space for the chicken at the center, then scatter with cucumber slices.Step 4
Gently toss the shredded chicken with salt and pepper. Pour all but a few tablespoons of dressing over the chicken and gently toss to coat. Transfer dressed chicken to center of platter and nap with remaining dressing. Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds on top and serve.