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    Thai-style chicken and watermelon salad

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    *mandatory

    Thai-style chicken and watermelon salad

    This beautifully textured salad, with its lightly spiced peanut coconut sauce, makes a delicious summer meal. If you marinate the chicken in advance, it’s a quick weeknight supper, too.

    • Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus marinating
    • Cooking time: 25 minutes
    • Total time: 50 minutes, plus marinating

    Serves: 4

    Ingredients

    6 chicken thigh fillets
    400ml can coconut milk
    1½ tbsp green Thai curry paste
    3 tsp (about 15g) grated fresh root ginger
    2 garlic cloves, grated
    1 lemon, zest of ½, juice of all
    4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
    1½ tsp soy sauce
    400g watermelon (peeled weight, about ½ watermelon), in chunks
    2 crisp apples (such as granny smith), quartered, cored and thinly sliced (skin on)
    ½ cucumber, quartered lengthways, seeds removed, cut into 2cm chunks
    2 handfuls salad leaves (such as baby leaf salad)
    handful coriander sprigs
    handful peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped

    Method

    1. Pat the chicken dry; lightly season on both sides. In a large bowl, whisk 150ml coconut milk with 1 tbsp curry paste, 1 tsp ginger and the garlic. Mix in the lemon zest and ½ the juice, add the thighs and coat evenly. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

    2. Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6. Take the chicken out of the marinade; put in a roasting dish lined with baking parchment (discard the marinade). Roast for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, the juices run clear and no pink meat remains. Take out of the oven and leave to cool, then slice crossways into ½cm-thick slices. Set aside any roasting juices.

    3. Meanwhile, put the remaining 250ml coconut milk, ½ tbsp curry paste, 2 tsp ginger and the peanut butter in a small pan. Gently bring to a simmer, stirring all the time to break up the peanut butter. Add the soy sauce and simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t stick. Season, pour into a clean bowl and set aside to cool.

    4 . To assemble, toss the melon, apples, cucumber and salad leaves with the remaining lemon juice and a little flaky sea salt; divide among 4 plates. Lay the chicken on top, drizzle over any reserved juices then spoon over the dressing. Garnish with the coriander and peanuts.

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    This recipe first appeared in Waitrose & Partners Food, July 2019 issue. Download the Waitrose & Partners Food app for the full issue

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