Serves 4
Ingredients
For the dressing
50g blackberries
2 tbsp apple juice
1 tbsp blackberry vinegar or 1 tbsp crème de mûre mixed with 1 tsp cider vinegar
½ tsp dijon mustard (optional)
4 tbsp olive oil or a nut oil (hazelnut is good, if you have it)
For the salad
200g cooked puy lentils, still quite al dente (or cooked lentils from a packet)
1 fennel bulb, shredded
2 cooked beetroot, cut into wedges
A couple of large handfuls of rocket or spinach
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
A few blackberries (to garnish)
2 cooked chicken breasts (poached or roasted)
Smoked salt (Maldon is good, available in supermarkets)
Method
1. To make the dressing, heat the blackberries very gently in a small saucepan with the apple juice; this is not to cook them, just to release the aroma and make the juices bleed out.
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2. Remove from the heat and add the blackberry vinegar, crème de mûre and cider vinegar, the mustard (if using), then whisk in the olive oil. Add a little more liquid if you think it needs to be thinner.
3. Mix together the lentils, fennel, beetroot, leaves and thyme.
4. Generously sprinkle the chicken breasts with the smoked salt, then slice and add them too. If you have time in advance, marinate them in smoked salt for a few hours before cooking.
5. Sprinkle over some of the dressing and top with the blackberries. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.