Smoked chicken, pot barley & cranberry salad

• pot barley200g g

  soaked overnight, or pearl barley

• dried cranberries↗50g g
• green beans↗200g g

  halved

• red-skinned pear↗1
• lemon↗1⁄2

  juiced

• pecans↗50g g

  lightly toasted

• lamb’s lettuce↗50g g
• flat-leaf parsley↗small bunch of

  roughly chopped

• smoked chicken↗250g g

  sliced or torn into chunks

• cider vinegar↗1½ tbsp tbsp
• Dijon mustard↗3 tsp tsp
• maple syrup↗1 tbsp tbsp
• extra virgin olive oil↗4 tbsp tbsp
• hazelnut or walnut oil↗4 tbsp tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put the soaked pot barley in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil, or cook the pearl barley following pack instructions. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender but retains a little firmness, about 10-15 mins. Drain and leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, put the cranberries in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to plump up for 20 mins.

2. 2

   Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together with a fork. Taste for balance – it should be slightly sweet. Add more vinegar or maple syrup, if you like.

3. 3

   Cook the beans in boiling water for 1-2 mins or until they’re tender but still have a little bite. Drain and run cold water over them to help them keep their bright colour. Drain the cranberries and pat them dry with a tea towel. Core, quarter and slice the pear, then toss the slices with the lemon juice.

4. 4

   Put the drained barley, beans, cranberries, pear, pecans, lamb’s lettuce, parsley and chicken into a broad, shallow serving bowl with the dressing. Gently toss everything together and serve.