Summer on a plate

This summery salad is light, clean, tasty and everything you want from a sunshine-inspired dish.

This summery salad is light, clean, tasty and everything you want from a sunshineinspired dish that works perfectly as either a first or second course. The quantity of marinade is enough for at least 1kg of chicken.

For the dessert, the basil and strawberry flavours work brilliantly in this refreshing dish.

THAI BBQ CHICKEN & MANGO SALAD

1kg boneless chicken thighs

1 mango, peeled and cubed

Mixed greens (iceberg, coral, tatsoi, oakleaf)

Handful coriander and Vietnamese mint leaves

Fried shallots (see below)

Marinade

1 bunch coriander, stalks trimmed, rinsed well and dried

3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and sliced

100ml fish sauce

100ml sweet chilli sauce

2 tablespoons chilli jam

3 tablespoons ketjap manis

3 tablespoons low-salt

soy sauce

1 tablespoons black peppercorns, crushed

75g sugar

1 walnut-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned

Dressing

2 shallots, thinly sliced

125ml vegetable oil

65ml mirin

160ml soy sauce

10ml sesame oil

For the marinade, chop coriander and mix well with other ingredients.

Marinate chicken for three to four hours. Grill chicken gently. When cooked through and charred a little at the edges, place on a board and slice each thigh into four or five portions. For the dressing, slice shallots and place in a saucepan with oil. Bring up to heat slowly until shallots are golden and crisp. Drain shallots, reserving oil. Place 75ml shallot oil in a bowl with mirin, soy sauce and sesame oil and whisk together. To assemble, dress chicken with shallot dressing; mix together lettuces, add chicken pieces and mango. Finish with coriander and mint, and scatter over fried shallots. Serves 4

STRAWBERRY & BASIL

300g white sugar

300ml water

500g fresh strawberries

250g strawberry juice

50g sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 bunch basil

To make sugar syrup, place sugar and water in small saucepan; stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.

Bring to the boil without stirring and cook for two minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Wash and hull strawberries. Place in a bowl with the juice, sugar and vanilla bean for one hour. Chill. For basil granita, pick basil leaves from the stalks; put leaves and 250ml sugar syrup into a blender and blend until mix is bright green. Strain, then freeze in a tray.

When set, fork through until light and fluffy. Return to freezer; fork through again before serving. To serve, place chilled berries in bowls, add some of the juice and sprinkle basil granita over the top. Serves 6

 Scott Pickett is the owner-chef of Melbourne restaurants Estelle by Scott Pickett, Estelle Bistro and Saint Crispin.

Recipes from A Cook's Story by Scott Pickett with Rita Erlich (EBK, $49.95).