Tyler’s Asian Chicken Salad with Teriyaki Sauce

For Tyler Florence Fridays this week I made his Asian Chicken Salad. Seared chicken breast with a gorgeous Teriyaki glaze of ginger, honey, toasty sesame seeds, and soy sauce served on a bed of grilled romaine. The grilled romaine was my twist on the recipe. Tyler serves his on raw zucchini, I added cucumber slices instead. When I was glazing the chicken as it cooked little drizzles were running down the side and caramelizing in the pan. I didn’t want that tasty caramel to go to waste. So, in another twist I added the rest of the glaze to the pan and lifted those tasty tidbits off the bottom. The result was a gelatinous glaze, with deep, rich flavors; slightly sweet with a hint of ginger and the very distinct soy flavor. What I really like about it was that the soy sauce wasn’t overwhelming; the sauce had a nice balance to it. The chicken was tender and juicy, the grilled romaine had a nice smoky flavor and the cucumbers added a nice, cool crunch. It made a really tasty, satisfying lunch for me today.

This is quick and fail-proof to cook and the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

Crispy Asian Chicken Salad

(adapted from Tyler Florence Stirring the Pot, page 233)

(Serves 2)

Glaze:

1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

For the Chicken:

extra-virgin olive oil

1 large boneless chicken breast (skin on), halved (mine was skinless)

and pounded thin

For the salad:

Cucumber slices

Hearts of Romaine, lightly grilled

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, for garnish

For the glaze combine the ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Set aside.

In a large saute pan heat a 2-count of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) over medium heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the breasts (skin

sides down) in the pan and sear for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden. Turn the breasts over and using a pastry brush liberally brush the glaze on top of the skin. At this point Tyler puts his in the oven to finish* but I let mine cook through right in the pan. Let cook for a few minutes, flip again and baste. When cooked through remove from the chicken from the pan. Add the rest of the glaze and bring just to a simmer while whisking, remove from heat.

*To finish in the oven: place the whole pan in the preheated oven and roast for 7 to 10 minutes, until chicken juices run clear (180f). Baste with glaze throughout cooking so the breast remains moist and tender. Let chicken stand until ready to serve the salad, then slice chicken.

Arrange romaine on a plate and top with sliced chicken breast. Add cucumber to plate and give it all a liberal dose of the glaze.

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