Balsamic Breast of Chicken with Salad of Pesto New Potatoes and a Baby Spinach Salad

A refreshing and delicious dish. Most of this dish can be prepared in advance leaving only the final cooking of the chicken breast and the assembly of the dish on the evening. Leaving out all the the last minute panic that goes with entertaining.

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2 Portions
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Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Breast

  • 2 chicken breast, skinless and boneless

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp walnut oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • maldon salt and freshly ground pepper

New Potatoes

  • 12 small new potatoes
  • 1 tbsp Pesto
  • 1 tbps extra virgin olive oil
  • maldon salt and freshly ground pepper

Baby Spinach Salad

  • 60 g baby spinach leaves, washed
  • 2 tsp pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 small plum tomatoes or vine ripened tomatoes diced
  • 2 tsp walnut oil
  • 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • maldon salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Marinade: Place all the marinade ingredient in a container and mix them together. Place the chicken breast in the marinade and cover it with cling film, place it in the refrigerator and leave it to marinate for 1-6 hours turning it over once.
  2. New Potatoes: Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the new potatoes leave them to cook on a strong simmer for 10-15 minutes(defendant on their size) so that they are just tender, a small knife should go through easily when they ready. Remove the potatoes from the heat and pour off the boiling water, refresh them under a tap of cold water, until they are cool. Place the new potatoes on a chopping board and slice them into even slices widthwise and place them in a bowl. Add the Pesto, olive oil, and a little salt and pepper to the potatoes and toss them together so that the potatoes are well coated. Cover the bowl with cling film and place the potatoes in the refrigerator until ready to serve (they can be prepared up to 8 hours in advance).
  3. To Cook: Place a griddle pan over a high heat (a frying pan will do if you don't have one). When the pan is hot remove the chicken breast from the marinade and place them in the pan, reduce the temperature to moderate-high and allow them to cook for 8-10 minutes, moving them to an opposite angle halfway through to create a lattice pattern (this is not necessary if using a frying pan). Turn the breast over and repeat this for a further 8-10 minutes. Remove the breast from the pan and place them on a tray in a low oven to keep warm while you prepare the salad.
  4. Salad: Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss them together lightly. Serve at once or the leaves will become wilted.
  5. To Serve: Place the spinach salad on to two plates, so that it covers them. Put the new potatoes in the centre of the plates. Place the chicken breasts on a board and slice them each into 5 even pieces width ways. Place the chicken breasts on the new potatoes laying them out so that they overlap each other in a fan like manner. Serve.
  • If you are worried that your chicken is under cooked, slice it first in the middle when you are serving it. Then if it is pink place it in the microwave for a couple of seconds or return it to a hot oven until ready,