Chicken Salad With Avocado
Serves: 4
2 shallots, quartered
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 black peppercorns
pinch of salt
2 skinless chicken breast fillets (about 300g)
2 large avocados
2 small celery stalks
1 small Lebanese cucumber
2/3 cup (170g) light sour cream
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon sunflower or peanut oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
pinch of sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
a few sorrel leaves, optional
1. Place shallots, wine, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 cup (125 ml) water, peppercorns and salt in a pan; bring to a boil. Add chicken fillets and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and cook chicken 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove pan from heat. Leave chicken to cool in cooking liquid.
2. Halve avocados and remove seeds. Remove 4 teaspoons of flesh from each avocado half. Dice, place in a bowl. Mix with 1 tablespoon lemon juice to prevent browning. Drizzle cut surface of avocado halves with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
3. Dice celery. Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a small spoon. Dice cucumber. Drain chicken and cut into small cubes. Add chicken, celery and cucumber to diced avocado and stir gently to combine.
4. To make dressing, whisk sour cream, mustard, oil, vinegar, sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir dressing into chicken and vegetables. Spoon mixture into avocado halves.
5. Dust avocados with a little cayenne pepper. Cut sorrel leaves into thin strips, if using, and scatter over avocados.