Summer delight: Mango and smoked chicken salad
SUMMER DELIGHTS – outside dining and mosquitoes. The two go hand-in-hand but that’s okay because the living is easy.
They don’t come much easier than this recipe and it is utterly delicious. I discovered it while holidaying up north many years ago, where there were hundreds of mosquitoes out for my blood. They were everywhere, thick black clouds of them. The far-north mossies are by far the nastiest, most dedicated blood-seekers I’ve encountered. After a week of suffering we headed for Rawene, a lovely little town nestling at the upper end of the Hokianga harbour.
In a rustic cafe built over the sea, we sat on a balcony watching in contentment as the terns flitted by over the harbour – and not a mossie in sight.
There is something about the sweet mango paired with smoked chicken that makes this a real taste of summer. The crunchy noodles add another texture to a delicious meal. It is simplicity to put together, and better yet, there is no cooking – a plus in the steamy Waikato.
SMOKED CHICKEN SALAD WITH MANGO
1 smoked chicken – drumsticks, breast meat etc.
Salad ingredients – lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, spring onions etc.
Pumpkin seeds, dry roasted
1 pkt crisp noodles (I use Highmark chicken flavour)
1 mango, peeled and sliced
COVER each plate with noodles. Create a salad from whatever ingredients you have to hand and place on top. Shred or slice chicken and arrange on salad, with sliced mango on edges. Drizzle with mustard dressing, season and enjoy.
MUSTARD DRESSING
This dressing is so lovely it’s my fallback whenever I’m wanting a taste sensation. It keeps well in a jar. Shake well before using.
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
seasoning
1/4 cup olive oil
MIX all the ingredients together in a bowl, except the olive oil which is whisked in last. Taste and adjust as necessary.
Serve on a wonderful big platter and many cheers!
