Instagram Can't Get Enough Of Rachael Ray's Mediterranean Chicken Hot Salad
Rachael Ray has inspired fans once again with a recipe that may sound a little strange, but looks simply scrumptious: her "Mediterranean chicken hot salad." While this combination of words may elicit confusion — Is it spicy? Does it include cooked lettuce? — the concept is actually pretty simple. It's a warm tray of crispy chicken and classic Mediterranean fixings. As Ray put it on Instagram, "If you don't think salad is hot...think again."
The Food Network star recently demonstrated the recipe, officially called her Mediterranean charred chicken salad with olives and tahini-yogurt sauce (available in written form on her Free Food Studio platform), in a video for fans. At her signature rapid-fire pace, Ray pounded chicken breasts to an even thickness and tossed the pieces in a bag with garlic, salt and red pepper, and of course, EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil). She browned the meat in a hot pan until crispy, then added entire lemon halves to char for the last couple of minutes. And where does the "salad" component come in?
Ray's hot salad includes lots of herbs and jarred goods
As she shared on Instagram, Ray's chicken hot salad is served on a bed of her favorite fresh herbs, including chopped parsley, mint, and dill. A squeeze of juice from the charred lemons goes on top, along with a simple, slightly spicy dressing of tahini, Greek yogurt, and harissa. The rest of the ingredients, as many resourceful cooks may be pleased to learn, have a long shelf life: capers, pickled cherry peppers, and green olives. It seems to meet Ray's signature "30 Minute Meals" framework, coming together with just a little bit of time and effort.
Fans on Instagram are already tossing out heart emojis and yum reactions. Says one follower, "OMG!!! I want that every day," while another eagerly asked for an invitation to the chef's house for "a cooking date." Others were happy to learn that the full recipe is available on Free Food Studio, a recipe content platform run by Ray and her production team.