This autumnal salad brings a real warmth to a dreary-weathered day, and the combination of parmesan and panko breadcrumbs gives it an extra injection of flavour.
Ingredients
- 45g dried panko breadcrumbs
- 135g parmesan, finely grated
- 30g plain flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 750g chicken breast, cut into chunks
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100g baby spinach
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6. Place the pumpkin chunks along with the garlic on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes until soft.
- Meanwhile, take a large plate and combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan, then season well with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a bowl, and the beaten eggs in a separate bowl.
- Piece by piece, coat the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip into the egg, then transfer to the breadcrumb mixture and coat well. Repeat this process until all the chicken pieces are covered and then cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge and pour about 5mm of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan or wok. Heat over a medium-high flame and fry the chicken in batches, for around 3 minutes each side until cooked though. Transfer to a kitchen-paper lined plate to drain.
- To construct the salad, squeeze the roasted garlic clove from its skin and place in a small bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil and whisk to combine.
- Grab your serving bowl and combine the spinach, onion, roasted pumpkin and walnuts, mixing well. Drizzle over the vinegar mixture, and top with the chicken. Toss everything together and enjoy!
Lead image: Lilechka75 via Getty images.