What is Nicolas Lacombe, head chef at Selection Laval, is cooking for us this Summer? A menu focused on summer pleasures and fresh local products- a mix of seasonal vegetables, grilled meat, and selected herbs.
Between salmon grilled to perfection, marinated meat and locally curated products from the market, chef Nicolas shares his ultimate summer salad recipe, which is tasty, healthy and savoury all at the same time. Bake it on the grill or in the oven!
PREP TIME
30 minutes
COOK TIME
20 to 45 minutes
MACERATION TIME
12 hours
SERVINGS
4 portions
Greek marinade
1 ½ cup olive oil
⅓ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch of salt
Chef tip :
When it comes to marinades, do not use fresh herbs, since they’ll lose their flavour during cook time.
Barbecue
4 chicken breast, around 4 oz
OR
tofu cubes
Greens and fresh herbs
8 cups fresh baby spinach
1 handful fresh oregano
½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
Vegetables
1 big red pepper
1 big green pepper
2 zucchinis
1 red onion
Garnish
100-gram feta
Instructions
1 - Combine all ingredients into the marinade, mix and reserve.
2 - Marinate the chicken (or tofu cubes) in ⅔ of the marinade for 12 hours.
3 - Cut the vegetables in big slices and baste them with the ⅓ left of the marinade.
4 - Grilled Chicken
Oven:
On a baking pan at 375°F until obtaining an internal temperature of 78 degrees Celsius (around 20 to 25 minutes).
On the grill :
On medium flames, cook meat until obtaining an internal temperature of 68 degrees Celsius. Take note that the cooking process on a BBQ is faster than in an oven.
Tofu option:
Tofu cooking time on the grill takes about 5 minutes. Move around the cubes, so you grill every side.
Chef tip:
Once the chicken is cooked, let it sit for about 5 minutes before slicing it. That way, you’ll preserve the meat juice. You can also apply this tip to any other meat you may cook.
5 - Grilled vegetables cooking process
Oven :
On a baking pan - covered with Parchment paper- spread the vegetables and cook them in the oven at 475°F until obtaining the desired shade (around 10 minutes).
On the grill :
Cook directly on the BBQ grill and flip them halfway through cooking time if desired.
6 - Once the vegetables are cooked, cut into smaller pieces and mix them with the greens (spinach, fresh oregano and chopped parsley). Add salt and pepper as well as a dash of olive oil.
7 - Display the green mix and the vegetables on a plate and lay the chicken slices or tofu cubes on top. Then, crumble the feta cheese over and enjoy!
What are your favourite guilty pleasures during the hot season?