There are many versions of chicken salad in French cuisine. This one channels the flavours of Normandy – cider, cider vinegar and apples – and combines them with crisp, cool witlof leaves and the anise flavour of tarragon. Walnuts would also make a fine addition.
Ingredients
Roast chicken
Method
Main
1.For roast chicken, preheat oven to 200C. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water, pat dry with absorbent paper, and stuff cavity with lemon and tarragon. Place in a roasting pan, add garlic, then pour cider in pan. Drizzle chicken with oil, season to taste and roast until browned and cooked through (45-50 minutes; juices should run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer). Cool, then coarsely shred meat (discard skin and reserve bones for stock) and transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins into a separate bowl and mash with a fork.
2.Add celery and leaves, apple, witlof, frisée and tarragon to chicken, toss and season to taste.
3.Combine oil, vinegar, crème fraîche, lemon juice and mashed roast garlic in a screw-top jar, shake to emulsify and season to taste. Add a little to chicken salad, toss to coat and serve at room temperature with extra dressing on the side.
