Chipotle-griddled chicken salad with chorizo and quinoa

Method

1. With a sharp knife, make slits in the chicken thighs on both sides. Rub with the olive oil, chipotle paste and juice of 1 lime. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
2. For the salad, toast the quinoa in a dry frying pan for 2 minutes, then put it in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat a little, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes. Halve and stone the avocados, cut lengthways into quarters, then peel and slice. Season and squeeze over the juice of 1 lime.
3. Heat a griddle pan to really hot, add the chicken and sizzle for 2 minutes, turn over and cook for 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until cooked. Turn off the heat, slice the chicken and keep warm, covered, on the griddle pan. Cut the chorizo into rounds, then sauté in the olive oil in a pan for about 4 minutes.
Recipe continues after advertising
Advertisement
4. Fluff up the quinoa with a fork, season and put into a large flat serving dish. Gently mix in the chorizo, chicken, baby spinach, spring onions, coriander, avocado, the juice of the remaining 2 limes, the white balsamic and the extra virgin olive oil. Dot the tomatoes in among everything else.
5. Mix the crème fraîche and lime zest and serve with the salad.

Recipe from Diana Henry’s book A Bird in the Hand.