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Astra salad with chicken

Aster Salad with Chicken

An elegant layered salad decorated to look like an aster flower. The layers play off each other beautifully, and thanks to the fresh vegetables it comes out juicy and not the least bit cloying, even with the mayonnaise. This showstopper will dress up any celebration and steal the spotlight. It's easy to make, but it looks downright regal.

sharlis

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Chicken breast

300

Hard cheese

100

Tomato

Bell pepper

Eggs

Mayonnaise

200

Garlic

Salt

Ground black pepper

Onion (red, for garnish)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 36 % 12 g

Fats 55 % 18 g

Carbohydrates 9 % 3 g

209 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

Prep all the components of the salad. Boil the chicken breast in salted water until cooked through — about 25 minutes — then let it cool and chop it finely across the grain. Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool them in cold water, peel them, and dice them or push them through a sieve. Grate the cheese on the coarse side of a grater. Wash and dice the tomato and the pepper. Peel the garlic.
Step 2:

Use a ring mold to build the salad. Mine is 4 inches (10 cm) across, and I made 2 individual salads. For one large salad, use a ring 7-8 inches (17-20 cm) across — no bigger, or the salad will turn out flat. The first layer is the chicken; for convenience, mix it right away with mayonnaise and black pepper. Spread it out and press it down firmly with a fork so the layer holds together.
Step 3:

The second layer is fresh tomato: salt it, sprinkle on the minced garlic, spread with mayonnaise, and press it down well too. Use full-fat mayonnaise (at least 50%).
Step 4:

For the third layer, add the eggs, spread them with mayonnaise, and press down with a fork. Farm eggs with that deep orange yolk are best — they look prettier and taste better than store-bought.
Step 5:

The fourth layer is bell pepper. I chose red, which makes the salad brighter than, say, yellow would. Pack it down tightly and spread with mayonnaise.
Step 6:

The final layer is the hard cheese — just scatter it over the top. Refrigerate the salad for 1 hour so it soaks together and sets into shape. Lift off the ring mold and move on to decorating.
Step 7:

I used red onion to decorate. I cut off a quarter of the onion and sliced it into thin strips to make "petals," then tucked them into the very center of the salad to form a flower.