White Peach Salad

Serves 4-5 as a salad, or 2-3 with added protein as a main, or 4-5 with a roast chicken.

Serve for a summer lunch. If there are a few more mouths to feed, add an extra peach and tomato, or double the recipe (it is delicious!).

White Peach Chicken Salad Photo: Julie Biuso

Ingredients

2-3 Tbsp lime juice
4 large white peaches (or 2 large peaches and 3-4 nectarines)
2 medium vine tomatoes
8 makrut lime leaves
1-2 hot red chillies
3 Tbsp chopped mint
3 Tbsp chopped coriander
Flaky sea salt
2 Tbsp caramelised shallots

Method

1. Put lime juice in a large bowl. Peel peaches and chop flesh, adding to bowl with lime juice as each is prepared. Toss well to prevent browning.

2. Chop tomatoes and drain in a sieve for 5 minutes. Finely chop lime leaves, discarding the spines. Finely chop chillies, discarding seeds for a milder chilli hit. Add everything except caramelised shallots to bowl of peaches, including a few generous pinches of salt. Toss well and taste. If the salad is a tad sweet, sharpen with more lime juice, and if it lacks punch, add a little more salt and chilli.

3. Dish salad into bowls and top with caramelised shallots. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

No limes? Lemons will do, but makrut lime leaves are essential. The salad needs a decent chilli buzz to balance the sweetness. Leave seeds in and chop finely, then add chopped chilli a little at a time until you get the right heat.
To serve as a main for 2-4 people, slice the flesh from 2-4 skinned and boned, pan-fried or barbecued chicken thighs and toss with salad.

To serve as a platter for 4-5, dish salad onto a platter and top with a just-carved, roasted chicken, spooning over all the juices (cool a cooked chicken for 45 minutes before carving). The salad also works with pork (try coconut pork patties or skewers) and sweeter shellfish like crab.