Name: El Publico’s chicken quinoa salad with recado verde
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 skinless chicken breasts (250gm each); 150 gm white quinoa; ½ white onion, shaved on a mandolin; 1 radish, shaved on a mandolin; 1 cup coriander leaves (loosely packed); 2¾ tbsp chia seeds; Juice of 1 lime; Recado verde; 100 gm coriander (about 1 large bunch); 100 ml canola oil; 80 gm flat-leaf parsley leaves (about 1 bunch); 50 ml white malt vinegar (see note); 2 tsp each ground allspice and ground coriander; ½ tsp ground cumin; ¼ tsp ground cinnamon; Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange

El Publico’s chicken quinoa salad with recado verde

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chicken quinoa salad with recado verde by El Publico restaurant in Perth.

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

20M

Total

50M

“This is a simple salad with odes to the Mayans and Aztecs and their old world grains,” says Ward. “The recado [a sauce-like seasoning] is from the Yucatán.”

Ingredients

2 skinless chicken breasts (250gm each)

150 gm white quinoa

½ white onion, shaved on a mandolin

1 radish, shaved on a mandolin

1 cup coriander leaves (loosely packed)

2¾ tbsp chia seeds

Juice of 1 lime

Recado verde

100 gm coriander (about 1 large bunch)

100 ml canola oil

80 gm flat-leaf parsley leaves (about 1 bunch)

50 ml white malt vinegar (see note)

2 tsp each ground allspice and ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange

Method

Main

1.Steam chicken in a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water until cooked through (8-10 minutes; or you can poach the chicken; see note) Set aside to cool slightly, then thinly slice.

2.Cook quinoa in a saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender (8-9 minutes; you want the quinoa to be a little bit al dente).

3.Meanwhile, for recado verde, process ingredients in a blender to a smooth paste, then season to taste and set aside.

4.Rinse onion under cold running water for 5 minutes, drain and place in a bowl with chicken, quinoa and remaining ingredients, toss to combine, season to taste, stir in recado verde and serve.

Note White malt vinegar is available from select delicatessens; if it isn’t available, substitute half apple cider and half malt vinegar. To poach the chicken, place chicken in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil, remove from heat and stand for 10-12 minutes.
Drink Suggestion: Two Brothers Gypsy pear cider. Drink suggestion by Paul Aron
Notes