Cooking Question about Durban Spiced Chicken Salad

[Josh Hendy]

Hello, there is something not explained in this recipe.

5 oz Mixed Greens
1c Durban Roasted Chicken (below*)
Tortilla Chips as garnish
2½ c Chili Cilantro Dressing (below**)
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, toasted
1 tsp Ground Cumin, toasted
1 tsp Ground Coriander, toasted
1 tsp Ground Cloves, toasted
2 Tortillas cut in strips & fried for garnish

What do you do with the toasted spices, sprinkle them on the salad? Or just on the chicken?

And what is the best way to toast the spices, by sprinkling them on a pan and baking for x minutes at y degrees F. ?

Finally, is the salad garnished with both tortilla chips and cut/fried tortillas, or is that a typo for "garnished with either store-bought tortilla chips or with tortilla strips which you have fried yourself" ?

Thx!

 

[piratesmate]

I'm sorry! I totally missed this post before. I didn't post the recipe to which you linked, but had received a copy after our stay at AKL in 2001 and it looked much the same. I've made this often - it's one of our favorite!)

The spices in your quote just get mixed in with the greens. Just dump the greens, chicken & spices in a large bowl, add the dressing & toss.

As for toasting them - I can't answer what is best, but I just put them in my non-stick frying pan & put them on medium heat for a bit. I have no idea how long - just don't walk away from them. I usually take them off when the aromas are released as I don't want to burn them. It's amazing what a difference it makes in the taste, because I have already made it w/o toasting the spices. I believe I was told that they toast the seed form of the spices & then put them in a grinder - like a coffee grinder, but I'm not positive.

As for the tortilla strips...it's definitely not a typo. When we were there in 2001 the tortilla strips were definitely flour, not corn. I take 2 flour tortillas, cut them in quarters (to make them a manageable size) & cut them into strips about 1/8" wide. I don't fry mine - I've always sprayed mine with olive oil (using a Misto) and baked at 350 for about 5 - 10 min until they start to turn golden brown. I do this for tortilla soup as well, but then I sprinkle the strips with salt before baking.

I hope this helps!