A platter salad meal is just the thing for these in between times. Not the full heat of summer, but not the cool kiss of fall either. The bulk of the summer fresh produce is fading but the winter squashes and apples aren’t quite here. Not quite time for soups and stews. And it tends to be the best time of year for eating outside, as the days get a little bit fresher. A big, pretty salad arrayed on a platter is a perfect meal. Fresh and light, but hearty enough to be dinner. I love a platter salad – Italian, steakhouse, Lyonnaise, muffaletta, bloody mary shrimp – I have shared quite a few. And this one has a Memphis twist in chicken coated with my house barbecue rub. Add smoky bacon, garlicky croutons, crunchy celery and a creamy blue cheese dressing create layers of flavor over crisp romaine.
Celery leaves are an unsung hero – grocery stores so often cut them off but do your best to find a bunch with some leaves. They have such a bright, crispy, well, celery, flavor that brightens up any salad. I sliver the stalks really thinly for this salad so you get that astringent celery brightness and crunch but in a subtle little bite. Crisp romaine is the perfect sturdy base for this salad, cut into easy to fork up ribbons. The dressing here is a smooth and creamy blue cheese that clings to the chicken. I like to make in a blender or food processor, but you can mask everything together with a fork for a chunkier version if you like. The rubbed chicken is excellent on the grill if you have it going or cooked in a grill pan, but I give the simple skillet instructions here. And don’t sleep on this crouton recipe for all your salads. They really are spectacular.
My job here is a recipe developer is to share fresh, homemade ideas. But yes, for a shortcut you could use a bottled dressing, packaged croutons and barbecue rub from a jar (but please find a Memphis-style!).
Ingredients
- For the Spice Rub
2 Tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
- For the Croutons
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
5 slices firm white sandwich bread
- For the Dressing
4 ounce blue cheese
6 Tablespoons buttermilk
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 – 5 chives, snipped with scissors
A few dashes hot sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
- For the Salad
6 strips of smoked bacon, cooked until crisp
2 large chicken breast halves (or 4 thin sliced breasts)
The spice rub
Olive oil
2 heads of romaine lettuce
1 bunch of celery, with as many leaves as possible
Directions
- For the Rub
- Measure everything in a jar and shake well to combine. This will keep in an airtight container for several weeks.
- For the Croutons
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Crush the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife and drop them in the melted butter. Set aside off the heat as you proceed. Cut the crusts from the bread, then cut them into cubes about ½ inch in size. When the butter is cool enough to touch, dip a bread square in the butter and flip over to coat both sides, then place the on the baking sheet. Repeat with all the squares. Bake for 14 minutes, then flip each saure over and bake a further 10 minutes until toasted. Cool completely. These can be kept in an airtight container for up to a day.
- For the Dressing
- Crumble the cheese into a small food processor then add the buttermilk, mayonnaise, oil, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour into a jar, cover and refrigerate. Can be made up to two days ahead. If the dressing is too thick to pour, add a few drops of water and shake to blend until it is pourable.
- For the Salad
- If using regular chicken breast halves, cut them into two pieces horizontally, so you have two thin breast pieces. Whether cutting yourself or using pre-cut, place the breasts between two pieces of waxed or parchment paper and use a rolling pin to pound them a few times to even, thin pieces. Sprinkle the rub very generously over all sides of all the pieces of chicken. Use all the spice mix and really pat and rub it into the meat. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat (you won’t be able to cook all the breasts at once). When it is very hot, add two pieces of chicken and cook until they easily lift from the bottom of the pan with tongs – do not even think about moving the chicken if it wants to stick to the pan. When one side lifts easily and is nice and charred, flip it to the other. Once both sides are nicely charred, you can lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, flipping once, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove to a plate. Add more oil, raise the heat and finish the remaining chicken. The chicken should take about 15 minutes to cook, but temperature is the best gage.
- Loosely cover the chicken and leave to cool. Refreigerate for up to 2 hours if until ready to serve.
- Cut the romaine heads in half lengthwise, then cut into ribbons about 1-inch wide. Tear any leaves from the celery head into small pieces. Wash the greens in a salad spinner or sink, then dry.
- Use a mandoline to slice 2 stalks of celery into very thin slivers (you can use a sharp knife and go slowly if you don’t’ have a slicer). Toss with the greens.
- To serve, spread the romaine and celery over the bottom of a large platter. Slice the chicken into thin strips and lay it on top of the greens attractively. Distribute the croutons and bacon, cut into small pieces, around the chicken, then drizzle over the dressing.
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