Spicy Chicken and Corn on the Cob Salad

Another main course summer salad. This being taken from the pages of the September 2010 Delicious Magazine. Oh, if there was ever a hearty salad that sang of summer, this has got to be it. Fresh sweet corn, courtesy of the local farmer's market, has got to be one of the best late summer vegetables. And while the optimal summer preparation method is the almighty grill, this salad benefits from adaptability. Being the grill-less souls we are, we put the corn under our griddle for 20 minutes or so and the effect was just about the same. This also applied for the roast chicken. If we had more time on our hands, we could have roasted the chicken ourselves (and hey, if you want to, go right ahead) but this being a weeknight dinner, it was far easier and faster (and actually cheaper) just to buy it pre-roasted and slice it.


Serves 4

20 minutes to make, 30 minutes to cook

Ingredients

3 corn on the cob with husks

50g unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ tbsp harissa paste

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped

Roast chicken, cut into strips

1 bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 avocado, sliced

2 large handfuls of lamb?s lettuce

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Handful of fresh chives, chopped


Preparation

-Soak 3 lengths of kitchen string in warm water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel back the husks of the corn, leaving the leaves attached at the base. In a small bowl, blend the butter, harissa, lemon zest, and parsley. Season well and smear all over the corn on the cobs, then re-cover with the leaves and tie string around each cob.

-Preheat an oven grill or griddle until hot and then grill the corn in their husks, turning, for about 15-20 minutes, or until black all over.

-Mix the red pepper, avocado, and lamb?s lettuce in a salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with salt and pepper, then whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together. Slice the chicken into strips and add to the salad.

-Remove the string and husks from the warm sweetcorn and, using a sharp knife and cutting the length of the cob, carefully strip off the kernels and add to the salad.

-Toss well to combine, sprinkle over the chives, and serve immediately.