Salmon Skewers with Italian Herbs, Served on an Avocado Plate

MAKES 2

PULLED BBQ CHICKEN TACOS

This recipe makes it seem like you’ve been slow-cooking chicken over a barbecue all day—but actually it’s quick and easy to make. With avonaise and yellow tomato salsa, the summery flavors are great even on rainy days.

INGREDIENTS

2 white onions, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated ½ red chilli, chopped (more if you like it spicy) 1 tbsp. paprika 1 tbsp. cumin 1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed 2 boneless chicken thighs (300-350g in total) 200ml of your favorite homemade or storebought barbecue sauce Extra-virgin olive oil 6 mini soft tortillas Optional: grilled baby corn For the Avonaise: 1 avocado 4 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. sushi vinegar 2 tsp. yellow mustard

For the yellow salsa: 250g yellow tomatoes 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped 1 white onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, grated Juice and zest of 1 lime 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped, with extra for garnish

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Food processor or blender (optional)

METHOD

1 To make the yellow salsa, adding all the ingredients together into a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed but the salsa is still chunky. Season to taste and refrigerate for an hour or more to let the flavors develop. If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can chop these ingredients finely by hand. 2 Heat a big cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan with a big glug of olive oil. Add the chopped onions, garlic and chilli, and sauté for 5 minutes until tender. Add the paprika, cumin and crushed fennel seeds and let it simmer for 10 minutes, until the onions are completely soft. 3 Add the chicken to the pan and pour over the barbecue sauce, ensuring the breasts are completely covered. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally as well as turning the chicken breasts over a couple of times, until it’s completely cooked. 4 In the meanwhile, make the avonaise by blending all of the ingredients together in a bowl with a hand blender until everything is thoroughly combined. Season to taste. If you don’t have a blender, you can use a whisk but it will take a little longer. Mash the avocado beforehand until smooth before whisking. 5 Remove the chicken from the pan and shred it into small pieces using two forks. Return to the pan with the sauce and stir well. 6 You can heat tacos two ways: on a plate in the microwave or wrapped in foil and placed under the grill. To serve, spoon the pulled chicken into the tacos, and top with the yellow salsa, avonaise, fresh coriander and, if using, grilled baby corn.