Bread Salad with Treviso + Buttermilk Chicken

Did you catch my sneaky attempt to give you a second roast chicken recipe? You’re probably thinking “girl…do you eat anything beside chicken?” Yuh. Lots of other stuff. Sometimes I make big salads. Sometimes I put bread in them. Now is one of those times. 

If I’m getting home later than usual from work, dinner becomes more assembly than cooking. Fill one big bowl with all the bitter leaves I like from the chicory family like endives or puntarelle, a bit of leftover roast chicken, and a strong, mustardy vinaigrette to tie it all together. Simple. I know Treviso is having a moment but I love it still. (An aside: Is Treviso the new Rainbow Carrot? Discuss.) Its bitterness stands up to the invigorating flavors I crave when it’s cold and grey: mustard, lemon juice, anchovy. We can’t fast forward to Spring, but we can take pleasure in the kind of cooking winter allows for. Sometimes a bit of raw crunch can snap us back to life.

If I’m feeling ambitious I might take it one step further and improvise a riff on the Zuni Café Bread Salad. You know the one. If I thought ahead I might  brine the chicken in a nice buttermilk bath the night before, but a couple of hours on the countertop will do the job just fine. All that’s left is slapping the bird onto two thick slices of sourdough before popping it in the oven and arranging salad leaves in a bowl. The greens make it feel more healthy. You will struggle to share these chicken fat croutons with others. Try to be generous!

Bread Salad with Treviso + Buttermilk Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups full-fat buttermilk (I like Kate’s Buttermilk brand, use the leftovers for pancakes!)
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 3/12 lb. whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
2 1 inch thick slices of crusty bread (Sourdough is best, stale bread is even better)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small head of Treviso or Radicchio, leaves separated, washed and dried
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1/2 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. grain mustard
1 teaspoon. maple syrup
1 Tbs. dried currants
2 Tbs chopped, roasted almonds
1 Tbs. roughly chopped dill

DIRECTIONS:

1. The night before you plan to roast the chicken, whisk 1 Tbs. kosher salt and the freshly ground black pepper into the buttermilk in a large bowl until the salt is mostly dissolved. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels and place inside a 1 gallon zip-loc bag. Pour the brine over the top and seal, and give it a little massage to make sure that brine starts working its magic. Allow the chicken to brine for at least 3 hours, or ideally up to 24 hours. 
2. When the chicken is done brining, take out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking. You want the chicken to be as close to room temperature as possible.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees Farenheit.
4. Lay the 2 thick slices of bread down side by side in a cast iron skillet. Scraping off as much of the buttermilk mixture as possible, place the chicken breast-side up on top of the bread slices. Toss the lemon halves into the chicken’s cavity. Cross the legs together and tie with a 4 inch piece of kitchen twine.
5. Roast the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes, then turn the skillet to ensure the skin gets evenly golden. Roast the chicken 30 minutes more. You can test to see if the chicken is done cooking using the tip of a knife between the thickest part of the thighs. If the juices run clear, it’s done. Allow the chicken to rest in the pan on the counter for 30 minutes.
6. While the chicken roasts, prepare the salad. Tear the Treviso leaves into roughly 2-3 inch pieces—I prefer this to slicing, as tearing will give the salad more texture to soak up the vinaigrette. Place leaves in a large salad bowl
7. To make the vinaigrette, quickly mince a half of clove of garlic by grating it on a microplane into a small bowl. Add to the bowl the dijon mustard, grain mustard, and maple syrup and whisk. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the currants to the vinaigrette.
8. Carve the chicken. Separate the drumstick and thighs. Using the breastbone as your guide, slice on each side from the top, then again from the side to remove the breast. Slice the chicken breast into 1/2 inch wide pieces. 
9. To serve, toss the treviso leaves in the vinaigrette, then place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the chopped almonds and dill. Enjoy!

Serves 2, with plenty of leftover chicken for later.