Name: Cajun chicken salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200g day-old sourdough, cut into bite-size cubes; ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 2½ tsp Cajun seasoning; Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 4 rashers rindless bacon, cut in thirds; 500g chicken thighs; 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard; 400g can mixed beans, drained, rinsed; 10 cups torn kale leaves; ⅔ cup pickled okra, halved if large (or use pickled baby cucumbers)

Reinvent a Southern American supper into a robust salad with big, brassy flavours. Fry up Cajun-spiced chicken and crispy bacon, then cook beans in vinegar and mustard and put it all on a bed of kale with pickled okra and sourdough croutons.

Ingredients

200g day-old sourdough, cut into bite-size cubes

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2½ tsp Cajun seasoning

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

4 rashers rindless bacon, cut in thirds

500g chicken thighs

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

400g can mixed beans, drained, rinsed

10 cups torn kale leaves

⅔ cup pickled okra, halved if large (or use pickled baby cucumbers)

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). On a baking paper-lined oven tray, toss bread with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with half a teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning. Season. Bake bread for 10 minutes or until golden brown, turning halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, cook bacon in a little of the oil on medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towel.

Sprinkle chicken with remaining Cajun seasoning and season. In same pan, add a little of the oil and cook chicken on medium heat for 6 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside, loosely covered.

Add vinegar and mustard to pan, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Add beans and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, massage kale with remaining oil for about a minute or until tender. Transfer kale to a platter, top with thickly sliced chicken, bean mixture, bacon, okra and croutons.

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