Three Rice and Chicken Salad

This zingy three rice chicken salad is bursting with flavour and full of delicious, healthy protein and grains. It's the perfect recipe to prep ahead and enjoy for weekday lunches and it's a great way to use up leftover chicken. The recipe is adapted from one by Yotam Ottolenghi, who recommends using East Asian Shiso leaves (available from some Oriental shops), but our recipe uses mixed leaves or rocket as an everyday alternative. 

Serves 8

Ingredients: 

• 1 Sutton Hoo Chicken Whole Chicken(Remove the bones, skin and shred the chicken meat)

• 1 garlic bulb, halved

• 1 whole lemon, halved

• 2 springs of rosemary

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil (not Extra Virgin olive oil)

• 100g softened butter

• 1/3 cup wild rice

• 1 large cup of basmati rice

• 1/3 cup of brown rice

• 1 white onion, diced and chopped

• 6 spring onions, chopped thinly

• 2 large handfuls of mixed salad leaves or rocket

• 3 mild red chilies, seeded and cut into thin strips

• 2 cups of fresh coriander, chopped

• 2 cups of mint leaves, chopped

• Sea salt and black pepper to season

For the dressing:

• 4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 220°C/Fan 180°C/Gas mark 8

2. Smear 100g butter over the chicken and season well inside and out. Place the rosemary, half bulb of garlic and half a lemon inside the cavity of the chicken.

3. Place the chicken into a deep roasting tray. Pour over about 2 ½ tablespoons of olive oil.

4. Roast in the oven for 1 hour - 1hr 20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. We have found that 35 mins per kilogram (16 mins per pound/Ib) in a preheated oven at 180°c/350°F (gas mark 4) works well and then it is essential to rest the chicken (wrapped in tin foil) for half of the cooking time. This allows the bird to continue to cook and retain its moisture. Chicken is cooked when the juices run clear after skewering into deepest part of the bird, the leg, if they are pink it is undercooked and you should cook it for a further ten minutes and then try again until the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

5. While the chicken is roasting in the oven, cook the rice in a separate pan following the guidelines on the packaging. Bring to a boil and simmer gently, uncovered.

6. Remove all of the chicken skin and set aside, then use two forks to strip and shred meat off the chicken. Place in a large bowl. 

7. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and gently pour over the shredded chicken meat.

8. Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and fry over medium heat until golden. Set aside and leave to cool.

9. Add the rice, fried onion, spring onions, red chilies, and chopped herbs to the chicken. Mix well and add salt or pepper to taste. 

10. Enjoy!