Chicken and Avocado Caprese Salad

Instructions

1. 1

   Finely grate the garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, 30 ml olive oil, brown sugar, garlic, dried basil and 0.75 tsp salt until the sugar dissolves.

2. 2

   Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, approximately four large pieces. Unfold them to an even thickness of about 2 cm. Transfer 60 ml of the dressing to a separate shallow dish and turn the chicken in it. Keep the remaining dressing.

3. 3

   Heat a 30–32 cm frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 5 ml olive oil, then lift the chicken out of its coating and arrange it in one uncrowded layer. Discard the coating left in the dish. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7–9 minutes per side, lowering the heat if the balsamic coating darkens too quickly. Check that the thickest part of every thigh reaches 74°C/165°F.

4. 4

   While the chicken cooks, rinse and dry the lettuce, tomatoes and fresh basil. Chop the lettuce, halve the tomatoes and thinly slice the basil. Peel and pit the avocado, then slice 200 g of flesh. Drain the ready-to-eat fresh mozzarella and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

5. 5

   Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and rest for 5 minutes. Slice it.

6. 6

   Toss the lettuce with half the reserved dressing and divide among four plates. Add the avocado, tomatoes, mozzarella and chicken. Scatter over the fresh basil, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and finish with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt and all the black pepper.