Cooking for two

Basque main dish salad a medley of flavors

Main dish salads are a way to put together a meal with several components. They are also impressive. And today's main dish salad has a lot going for it. Perfectly cooked moist chicken, soft buttery lettuce and a chunky, lemony and slightly sweet vinaigrette.

The recipe appeared about a year ago in The Wall Street Journal's Slow Food Fast column. This recipe for a Basque Salad with Chicken and Piquillo Vinaigrette is the creation of chef Justin Severino, a Pittsburgh-area chef.

Basque Salad With Chicken and Piquillo Vinaigrette

2 skin-on, boneless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed, divided use

2 cloves garlic, peeled, slightly crushed

4 thin baguette slices or other French bread

2 eggs

2 piquillo or other jarred roasted red peppers, diced

1 tablespoon capers, drained, roughly chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus extra as needed

1 oil-packed anchovy, drained and minced, optional

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1 head of butter lettuce, outer leaves removed and quartered

1/4 cup manchego cheese shavings

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Lay chicken breasts skin-side down in the skillet. Cook until browned at edges and skin is brown. Do not turn the chicken over, leave them skin-side down. Transfer skillet to oven to cook breasts through, about 14 minutes. Remove from oven. Let rest, skin-side up, at least 5 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, add garlic and remaining oil to a small pot over medium-low heat. Cook garlic until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove garlic from oil. Reserve oil. Chop garlic.

To make the croutons: Brush bread with garlic-infused oil. Lightly season with salt. Arrange bread on a baking sheet and toast in oven until golden and crunchy, about 5 minutes.

To soft-boil eggs: Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer eggs 8 minutes. Cool eggs under cold running water then peel and roughly chop.

Make vinaigrette: Whisk together eggs, garlic, peppers, capers, lemon zest, half of lemon juice, the anchovy (if using), parsley and vinegar. Slowly whisk in remaining garlic-infused oil. Season with salt and extra lemon juice as needed.

To serve, divide chicken and lettuce between 2 plates. Sprinkle lettuce with salt and lemon juice, then dress generously with vinaigrette. Crumble croutons and scatter manchego over salad.

Makes 2 servings.

Adapted from The Wall Street Journal

Food on 03/22/2017

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