Poached Chicken, Pear, and Walnut Salad

Poached Chicken, Pear, and Walnut Salad
Photo: Johnny Miller
Servings:
4
Yield:
4 Serves

This Poached Chicken, Pear, and Walnut Salad is a rendition of a Waldorf salad. Its lighter and crisper, featuring bitter escarole leaves, creamy shaved Pecorino Romano, and Bosc pear slices.

Ingredients

  • 1 carrot, cut into thirds

  • 1 stalk celery, cut into thirds

  • 1 clove garlic

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 2 8-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 large escarole leaves, torn

  • 1 Bosc pear, sliced

  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

  • 3 tablespoons (½ oz) shaved Pecorino Romano

Directions

  1. In a large pot, add carrot, celery, and garlic and cover with water by two inches. Bring to a boil. Season with salt. Reduce to a simmer and add chicken, flipping halfway, until cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove and let cool. Slice.

  2. Whisk vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle half vinaigrette over chicken slices. Divide escarole, pear, shallot, and walnuts among four plates. Top with chicken and Pecorino.

  3. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.

Cook's Notes

Poached chicken is only as flavorful as the broth it's cooked in. Fortify your poaching liquid with leftover vegetable scraps, like onion peels and parsley stems.

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