This is an incredibly delicious chicken salad, with a wonderful oriental style dressing and plenty of color and crunch!
I just wish it photographed as beautifully as it tastes! The flavours are phenomenal! The chicken is moist and tender, having been quickly poached in some stock with a bit of garlic. You allow it to cool in the stock, and so it holds in all that moisture and flavor. You quite simply shred and tear it with a couple of forks when done so that you end up with plenty of texture.
The green beans add plenty of color and crunch to the dish. They have such a mild flavor that doesn't jar with the dressing. You could also use asparagus if you wanted to be really fancy!
The toasted sesame dressing is just wonderful . . . with the flavors of orange, and garlic, soy, sesame, ginger . . . just a bit of sweet and sour . . . but not so much that it takes over. It's really just a really decent blend of flavors, nothing cloying or overpowering . . .
I have to say however . . . the candied pecans are absolutely stunning in this. I could just sit and eat them all on their own, but don't do that. They add such a wonderful depth of flavor and crunch to the salad. This is the PERFECT salad to serve to the ladies who lunch!
It may look like a lot of work, but trust me, it really isn't, especially if you spread out the steps over a couple of days. The chicken can be poached ahead and the pecans candied. You can even make the dressing ahead of time. Just be sure to give it a good shake prior to using. With all of those steps taken care of ahead of time, all you will need to do on the day is cook the pasta and green beans! Even the so called pasta hating Todd enjoyed this!
*Toasted Sesame Chicken Pasta*Serves 4 generouslyPrintable Recipe
This might seem like a lot of work, but if you take the time the day before to make the candied pecans, cook the chicken and toast the sesame seeds, it will go together in a flash!
For the chicken:3 pounds of chicken tenders (I like to trim mine, removing thattough tendon and discarding it)
Chicken stock to covera clove of garlic crushed
For the candied pecans:
175g of soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)110g of butter, melted (1/2 cup)240g of shelled pecan nuts (2 cups)For the dressing:
90g of orange marmalade (1/2 cup)110ml of toasted sesame oil (1/2 cup)110ml of rice wine vinegar (1/2 cup)80ml of soy sauce (1/3 cup)80ml of Worcestershire sauce (1/3 cup)2 TBS lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed1 tsp ground ginger4 TBS toasted sesame seedssalt and black pepper to tasteYou will also need:1 pound of pasta shapes (Fusilli, radiatore, etc. You want something which the dressing will cling to)400g of fresh green beans trimmed (about 1/2 pound)
To cook the chicken, put the chicken into a large saucepan with the chicken stock and garlic, Bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and allow to cool to room temperature in the stock. Drain well and shred with two forks. You want it to be a bit chunky. If making the day ahead, cover and chill in the refrigerator until needed.
To toast the sesame seeds, place them into a dry skiller which you have heated over medium high heat. Cook and stir for about two minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before using.
