Chipotle Chicken Salad

From the July 2006 issue of Gourmet. The best doggone, spicy salad dressing north of Texas.

1 rotisserie-cooked chicken (2 lb) at room temperature
1 medium white onion, hacked to bits
1 (15- to 19-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1 rounded tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo, or to taste (might want to start with a little less. These suckers are caustic. Deliciously caustic.)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 firm-ripe California avocados, halved, pitted, and left unpeeled
3 oz corn chips such as Fritos (1 1/2 cups) (Huh, yeah. I use white corn chips myself)
1 heart of romaine,

Remove chicken from bone in large chunks, with some skin if desired, and toss together with onion and black beans in a large bowl.

Purée cilantro, chipotles, oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender, then add to chicken mixture.

Cut avocado into 1/2-inch cubes, without cutting through peel. (This is the super stealthy secret for dicing avacados. My husband, the California boy, taught me.)

Toss chicken mixture with chips. Scoop avocado into chicken mixture with a spoon. Serve salad on romaine leaves.

Comments

[john]

mmm. mmm.

delectable.

i miss fritos.