Warm salad of crispy chicken thighs

Ingredients

4 x 140g/5oz chicken thighs, skin on
2 tbsp sunflower oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
140g/5oz mixed salad leaves
½ red pepper, diced
50g/2oz green beans, in 4cm/1½in pieces
12 cherry plum tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp vinaigrette
For the garnish
carrot, very finely shredded
whole fresh chives

Method

1. To bone the chicken run a sharp knife down the thighbone, cutting into the meat. Do this several times on each side until the bone comes free.
2. Heat a frying pan over a low-to-medium heat. The heat is critical here, too hot and the skin will crisp before the thighs are cooked, too cool and the skin will never crisp up.
3. Season the boned thighs well, add the oil to the pan, and then place the thighs in it, skin-side down.
4. Toss in the garlic clove to flavour the oil. Now cook the chicken, skin-side down, until the skin is very crisp, like crackling.
6. Turn the thighs and discard the garlic. Cook the chicken for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the lemon juice and cook for another three minutes, then remove to a warm place to rest for five minutes.
8. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for three minutes and cool.
8. Mix the salad leaves, red pepper, beans, and tomatoes in a bowl and season. Then add the vinaigrette, toss well and divide between four serving plates.
9. Carve each thigh into six or seven pieces and place them on top of the salad.
10. Garnish with carrot shreds and chives, if using.