cookSmoked chicken and papaya salad with a ginger and sesame dressing

This healthy Asian salad recipe is given a sweet note by the ripe papaya, and the dressing gets its kick from grated fresh ginger From: deliciousmagazine.co.uk SERVES 4

1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cucumber
2 ripe papayas
2 x 175-200g cooked smoked chicken breasts, skinned
1 romaine lettuce heart
For the dressing
5cm piece fresh ginger
2 tsp rice or white wine vinegar
2 tbsp light olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir for 1-2 minutes, until lightly toasted. Tip into a bowl and set aside. Peel the cucumber, then cut in half lengthways and scoop out and discard the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the cucumber into thin slices and set aside.

Peel, halve and deseed the papayas, then cut the flesh lengthways into thin slices. Cut the smoked chicken breasts lengthways into long thin slices.

Make the dressing. Finely grate the ginger onto a plate, then scoop up the pulp and squeeze the juice out into a small bowl. Discard the pulp. Add the vinegar, then gradually whisk in the olive and sesame oils and some salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in half the toasted sesame seeds.

Shred the lettuce and mix with the cucumber. Pile into the centre of 4 plates. Alternate slices of the papaya and smoked chicken on top, and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the rest of the sesame seeds to serve.

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