Spring Chicken Artichoke Lemon Salad

I had a meeting of some women friends at my house today so I used it as an excuse to try some new salads. True to form I could not decide on one salad I wanted to make so I made three. I’ll dole the recipes out over the next few days. Interestingly the simplest one was the tastiest, at least to me — Maybe because I love lemons so much.

I was inspired by a more complicated artichoke recipe that involved cleaning and cutting down fresh artichokes to just their hearts and then cooking them in a complex broth of herbs before dousing them in a candied lemon peal sauce. It seemed like a lot of work when I could just use canned artichoke bottoms, so that what I did. The candied lemon peel was really the star and very easy.

Candied Lemon Peel Sauce

3 whole Lemons

2 T. sugar

2 T. water

Cut the peel off the lemons trying to get just the yellow part, leaving the white pith on the fruit. Once you have cut it off in about ½ inch wide strips cut those pieces into thin slivers. It is easier to do it that way, than cutting it off the lemon in tiny thin strips. Once you have gotten all the skin off the lemon you can squeeze the fruit to remove all the juice and put it in a small saucepan.

Add the lemon peel strips, sugar and water and place on a medium flame on the stove and bring to a simmer and cook for fifteen minutes until half the liquid has disappeared.

Put in a plastic container in the refrigerator. This can be done in advance and kept for weeks.

Dressing

1 whole lemon cut in eights

2 garlic cloves

Big pinch of salt

Black Pepper

1/3 c. of olive oil

¼ cup of Champagne Vinegar

Put the whole lemons, garlic salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill in a heavy-duty blender, like a Vitamix. Starting on the lowest setting start grinding everything up and adding the oil while increasing the speed for one minute. Put a fine sieve over a bowl and pour the contents into the sieve catching the lemon solids and letting the lemony oil go into a bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk together. This dressing is good when used with the candied lemon peel and the liquid that is left with it. If you do not make the lemon peel add a tablespoon of honey to sweeten the dressing.

Salad

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs- cooked and shredded

3 heads of butter lettuce cut into small pieces

30 basil leaves torn up

20 mint leaves torn up

1 can of artichoke bottoms- drained and quartered

2 globes of Burrata- cut in half at serving time and put on each individual serving.

Mix the lettuce, and herbs together and divide onto four large plates.

In a separate bowl toss the artichoke bottoms with the candied lemon peel and the remaining sweet liquid. Spoon over the lettuce. Top with chicken. Drizzle a little dressing on top and lay half a globe of burrata on the side with the cut side up so the creamy center stays in.