Grilled Chicken, Mozzarella and Pesto Trapanese Salad

Name: Grilled Chicken, Mozzarella and Pesto Trapanese Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 big pinch Chilli Flakes; 2 heads Romaine Lettuces, leaves seperated; 1 Garlic Clove; 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar, or sherry vinegar; 250g Cherry Vine Tomatoes, halved; 4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs; Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste,; Sea Salt, to taste; 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling; 20g Pecorino, or parmesan; 30g Basil; 50g Almonds, blanched ones are best, but regular skin-on work too; 125g Buffalo Mozzarella, drained

by Sophie Godwin

Poultry

Gluten Free

20m prep time

40m total time

Easy level

13 ingredients

Grilled Chicken, Mozzarella and Pesto Trapanese Salad recipe by Sophie Godwin

Pesto Trapanese is a wonderful Sicilian pesto made from almonds, cherry tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Here, it acts as the dressing for a grilled chicken and lettuce salad: chicken, tomato, mozzarella, pesto – perfect combo! She’s my basic queen, full of the ingredients I love, because not everything has to be a reinvention. Any leftover pesto is great in a focaccia sarnie or over pasta too. OBVS.

Method

Based on 2 servings, adjust as needed.

Step 1

Toast the almonds for the pesto in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until just turning golden, then tip into a blender or mini food processor.

Step 2

Peel the garlic and add to the blender with the almonds, along with half of the cherry tomatoes, the basil stalks and half the leaves, the chilli flakes, half of the vinegar and most of the olive oil. Finely grate in the pecorino or parmesan, then blitz to combine, adding another tablespoon of oil if needed. Season with salt, pepper and the remaining vinegar, if liked.

Step 3

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Put the same frying pan back over a medium– high heat. Pour in a little more olive oil, then add the chicken thighs, spacing them apart. Cook for 8–9 minutes on each side until cooked through, golden and crisp (don’t move them while they are cooking; let them do their thing). Transfer to a chopping board and leave to rest.

Step 4

Meanwhile, halve the remaining cherry tomatoes and cut each lettuce in half lengthways.

Step 5

Drizzle the lettuce halves with olive oil and place, cut-sides down, in the frying pan over a high heat. Fry for 1–2 minutes on each side until nicely charred but not cooked through.

Step 6

To serve, slice the chicken. Lay the lettuce on serving plates and top with the chicken and cherry tomatoes, then tear over the mozzarella. Spoon the pesto Trapanese on top and scatter with the remaining basil leaves. Boom.

Ingredients
Based on 2 servings

1 big pinch Chilli Flakes 1 x Sainsbury's Crushed Chillies 32g
2 heads Romaine Lettuces, leaves seperated 1 x Sainsbury's Romaine Lettuce Hearts, Twin Pack x2
1 Garlic Clove 1 x Sainsbury's Large Garlic
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar, or sherry vinegar 1 x Sainsbury's Wine Vinegar, Red Wine 500ml
250g Cherry Vine Tomatoes, halved 1 x Sainsbury's 250g Vittoria Cherry Vine Tomatoes, Taste the Difference
4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs 1 x Sainsbury's 640g British Fresh Skinless & Boneless Chicken Thigh Fillets
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste, 1 x Sainsbury's Black Peppercorn Grinder 50g
Sea Salt, to taste 1 x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 x Sainsbury's Olive Oil, Extra Virgin 1L
20g Pecorino, or parmesan 1 x Sainsbury's Pecorino Romano Cheese 170g
30g Basil 1 x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Basil 30g
50g Almonds, blanched ones are best, but regular skin-on work too 1 x Sainsbury's Almonds Blanched 100g
125g Buffalo Mozzarella, drained 1 x Stamford Street Co. Mozzarella Cheese Ball 125g