A wonderful fresh winter salad, here I use some shredded cooked chicken, using up any leftover pieces, this recipe is also great with lightly seared chicken livers and hearts. It works very well with winter salad leaves, for example, chicories, creases and mustard greens. The salty, super savoury mushrooms and sweet and sour blood orange balance the spice and bitterness well.

Ingredients

200g

Cooked and shredded chicken
2

Blood oranges, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces, juice kept
2 Handfuls

Washed winter salad leaves
1 tablespoon

Wholegrain mustard
For the pickled mushrooms
150g

Chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon

Olive oil
50ml

Vinegar
2 teaspoons

Fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon

Dried chilli flakes
1 tablespoon

Tarragon leaves (optional)
2

Garlic cloves, not peeled just lightly crushed
1 tablespoon

Salt
For the croutons
100g

Day old bread, chopped into 2cm pieces
2 tablespoons

Olive oil
2 teaspoons

Fresh rosemary, de-stalked and diced
A pinch

Salt and pepper

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Method

To make the pickled mushrooms, add the salt to the roughly chopped mushrooms and gently mix to coat the mushrooms. Allow it to cure for 15 minutes. After the mushrooms are salted quickly wash off the salt under the cold water tap, once rinsed well, squeeze out the excess water and set it to one side.
Place a heavy-based frying pan on a high heat, once hot add the mushrooms and toast them for a few minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Now add the fennel seeds and toast gently for a minute. Now add the tarragon, garlic cloves, chilli flakes and vinegar and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, add the oil, stir and set to one side. This pickle will keep for a month in the fridge, it can be made in advance and actually improves after a few days.
To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 160℃, combine the bread pieces, olive oil, rosemary and season with salt and pepper, place onto an oven tray and bake until golden and crisp, stirring occasionally. This will take around 30 minutes.
To make the salad, place the pickled mushrooms, chicken and wholegrain mustard into a mixing bowl and gently toss them together. Next, add the blood orange and salad and crouton and toss them together. Check the seasoning and serve.