Salpicão de Frango

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken breast
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 dl heavy cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 carrot, cut into fine matchsticks
• 150 g sweetcorn, drained
• 60 g raisins
• 1 apple, cored and cut into small dice
• 3 tbsp spring onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 120 g french fries, crisp shoestring potato sticks

Method

1. 1.

   Set the chicken to poach — Put the chicken breast in a saucepan with the bay leaf and half a teaspoon of the salt, cover with cold water and bring it up slowly. Hold it at the point where the surface barely trembles — a real boil tightens the fibres and dries the meat.

2. 2.

   Poach until just cooked — Poach for 15 minutes, until the thickest part is opaque all the way through and the juices run clear when pierced.

3. 3.

   Cool and shred the chicken — Slide the pan off the heat and leave the chicken to cool in its own liquid for 20 minutes, which is what keeps the breast juicy instead of stringy. Lift it out, pat it dry and pull it into fine shreds with two forks, following the grain.

4. 4.

   Whisk the dressing — Whisk the mayonnaise, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, lime juice, the remaining salt and the black pepper into a loose, pourable dressing. Toss the diced apple through it first so the acid keeps it from browning.

5. 5.

   Fold everything together — Fold in the shredded chicken, carrot, sweetcorn, raisins, spring onion and parsley until everything carries a thin coating. The salad should look dressed, not drowned — add the dressing in stages if you are unsure.

6. 6.

   Chill to let it settle — Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes so the raisins plump on the dressing and the flavours settle together. Taste again once it is cold — cold food always needs more salt and acid than warm food.

7. 7.

   Add the potato sticks last — Scatter the potato sticks over the top only at the last moment, whether you are serving a bowl at the table or sealing a lunchbox — they go soft within minutes of touching the dressing.