Chinese Chicken Salad

Serves: to serve 6

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 1 hr

6 small - chicken breasts

- olive oil

- salt and pepper

8 oz - young green asparagus

½ - red bell pepper

3 - spring onions (a.k.a. scallions or salad onions)

1 tablespoon - white sesame seeds

2 - mandarins (or clementines or tangerines)

- young spinach leaves, rocket or watercress

FOR THE DRESSING

1 clove - garlic

½ teaspoon - fresh ginger

1 tablespoon - sesame seeds

4 tablespoons - vegetable oil

2 tablespoons - good apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons - light soy sauce

1 tablespoon - sesame oil

½ tablespoon - honey

1 oz - smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon - salt

- freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast for 35 to 40 minutes in a preheated moderate oven (Mk 4 - 400ºF - 180ºC) until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile make the dressing... Peel and crush (mince) the garlic and peel and grate the fresh ginger. Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl or jar and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside until the end.
When the chicken is cooked and cool, remove the meat from the bones (if any), discard the skin and slice the meat crossways in slices about ¼" (6mm) thick. Set aside.
Cut the asparagus diagonally in lengths of about 1½" (4cm). Blanch them in a pot of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes until crisp-tender, then drain the water and plunge them into ice water to stop them from cooking. Drain and place on absorbent kitchen paper.
Cut a whole red pepper in two and retain one half for later use. Deseed the remaining half and cut into strips about the same size of the asparagus pieces. Cut the spring onions diagonally into similar lengths to the pepper and asparagus. Gently toast the white sesame seeds for a few minutes until golden brown. Peel and segment the mandarins.
Place a handful of green leaves (young spinach leaves, rocket or watercress - it's your choice) on each plate. Evenly spread the asparagus, red pepper and spring onion pieces over the leaves. Arrange the sliced chicken breast on top, and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over. Give the dressing a final short whisk and drizzle over the chicken and vegetables.
Arrange a few segments of mandarins around each plate, then serve your Chinese Chicken Salad cold or at room temperature.