Adam Liaw's Vietnamese poached chicken and Italian antipasto salad recipes

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Two delicious chicken recipes, which will you choose? When it comes to salads as delicious and fresh as these, I say why not both?

Vietnamese chicken and herb salad

This simple chicken poaching method is just about foolproof, and when combined with a simple dressing and plenty of fresh herbs it makes for an unforgettable salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Lilydale chicken breasts
• salt, to season
• ⅛ of a head of cabbage, very finely shredded (300g)
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 1 small carrot, julienned
• 1 cup loosely packed mint, roughly torn
• 1 cup loosely packed Vietnamese mint
• 1 cup loosely packed coriander
• ¼ cup fried shallots (available from Asian grocers)
• 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Dressing

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 bird's eye chillies, finely sliced
• 2 tsp sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce

METHOD

1. Bring 1.5 litres of water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan (or 1 litre of water if you're only poaching 1 chicken breast). Add 1 teaspoon of salt and add the chicken breasts. Remove from the heat and stand for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and while still warm, shred the chicken by hand and season with a little salt.
2. For the dressing, pound the chilli and garlic in a mortar and pestle, add the sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the fish sauce, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
3. Gently combine the shredded chicken breast, cabbage, onion, carrot and herbs and toss with the dressing. Scatter with fried shallots and roasted peanuts to serve.

Serves 4

Antipasto chicken salad

Why should antipasto just be limited to snacking or before a meal? This simple salad combines your antipasto favourites with grilled chicken glazed with Italian dressing.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 chicken thigh fillets
• 300g mixed baby spinach and rocket leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
• ½ red onion, finely sliced
• ¼ cup marinated capsicum, thinly sliced
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup mixed marinated olives
• finely grated parmesan, to serve

Italian dressing

• 2 eschalots (French shallots), minced
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes
• ¾ cup olive oil
• salt and black pepper, to season

METHOD

1. Mix together the ingredients for the dressing and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil (or some of the oil from the dressing). Season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry for about 2 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Add about ¼ cup of the dressing and toss to for a minute or two until it reduces and coats the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to rest for a few minutes.
3. Toss the spinach, rocket, basil, onion, capsicum, sun-dried tomatoes and olives together in a large bowl. Slice the chicken and toss everything together with as much of the dressing as you like. Grate over parmesan, add a little extra black pepper and serve.

Serves 4

For nearly 20 years, passionate Lilydale farmers have been perfecting free range farming based on one simple belief: chicken that's raised better, tastes better. Today, our commitment to quality and to the welfare of our chickens is what sets us apart.

We work hard to raise Australia's favourite free range chicken. But that kind of devotion makes all the difference.

From our farm to your plate. Where the finest ingredients transform into memorable dishes.

Lilydale. Dedication you can taste.

This recipe is from episode two of Good Food Kitchen season 2, screening on 9Now.