Bang bang chicken salad

Annabel Langbein Media

Regardless of how it's cooked, you will get maximum tenderness and juiciness if you eat cooked chicken straight away or once it has cooled to room temperature, without chilling it (chicken, meat or seafood protein sets when it is chilled).

If using poached chicken more than 2 hours after it has cooled down, store it in its cooking liquid in the fridge until needed. It will keep for 4 or 5 days. For how to poach chicken without drying it out, see here.

For the salad

3	Chicken breasts, poached, chicken shredded and cut into bite-sized chunks (Main)
2	Celery stalks, thinly sliced
2	Spring onions, thinly sliced
1	Green pepper, thinly sliced
½	Telegraph cucumbers, deseeded and sliced, or a handful of snow peas, coarsely chopped
¼	Small cabbages, finely chopped
1 cup	Mint leaves, torn; or use coriander leaves
½ cup	Roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

For the satay dressing

½ cup	Boiling water
½ cup	Crunchy peanut butter, salted (Main)
¼ cup	Lime juice, or lemon juice
2 Tbsp	Sweet chilli sauce
1 Tbsp	Soy sauce, or tamari
1 tsp	Fresh ginger, finely grated
½ tsp	Chilli flakes

Directions

1. For the Satay Dressing, stir together boiling water and peanut butter in a mixing bowl, then stir in all other ingredients.
2. Combine chicken and dressing in a large serving bowl and toss to coat.
3. Add all remaining ingredients, reserving a few nuts and herbs, and toss to combine. Serve garnished with reserved nuts and herbs.

More chicken salads from Annabel

• Coronation chicken salad
• Chicken salad with Moroccan dressing

These are just three of the clever Springboard Recipes in Annabel's new book Essential Annabel Langbein (Annabel Langbein Media, $65), a beautiful compendium of more than 650 of her best-ever savoury recipes and cooking tips.Find out more atannabel-langbein.comor follow Annabel on Facebook or Instagram.