chicken garden salad with elderflower dressing

Description

A British green salad with plenty of bite from crisp radishes, sugar snap peas, asparagus and Little Gem lettuce

bunch of asparagus (about 8 spears), woody ends removed and discarded (or save to make soup), cut in half lengthways
200g pack sugar snap pea
140g fresh or frozen pea
1 small cooked chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded
250g radish (use mixed colours and shapes if you can), sliced
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large curly round lettuce or 2 Little Gems, torn
handful pea shoots (optional)
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
zest and juice 1 large lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil

Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and fill a large bowl with ice-cold water. Drop the asparagus into the pan. After 1 min, add the sugar snaps. After another 30 secs, tip in the peas. Cook for 30 secs more, then drain and tip the vegetables into the icy water – this will cool them quickly, helping to keep their bite and vibrant colour. After 1-2 mins, drain and set aside in the colander while you prepare the other ingredients.
Dry your bowl, pour in the dressing ingredients with plenty of seasoning and whisk together. Add the chicken, radishes, onion, cooled and drained vegetables, and the lettuce, and gently toss everything together until well coated in the dressing – the easiest way is to use your hands. Pile the salad onto a large platter and scatter over the pea shoots, if using. Serve straight away.