Polish 'gyros' layered party salad with chicken, pickles and sweetcorn
One of the most popular Polish party salads: layers of iceberg lettuce, chicken fried in gyros spices, pickled cucumbers, sweetcorn, red onion, a mayonnaise and ketchup dressing and grated cheese. Made a few hours ahead so the layers mingle. The glass bowl is usually the first to empty.
Your own work in that: 35 min.
- Chicken 20 min
- Layers 15 min
- Resting 120 min
Step by step
0 / 6 doneSeason the chicken
Cut the breast into thin strips. Toss with the paprika, oregano, curry, crushed garlic, salt, pepper and a spoon of oil. Leave 10 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
Ingredients: 600 g chicken breast · 2 tsp sweet paprika · 1 tsp oregano or marjoram · 1 tsp curry powder · 2 cloves garlic · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 3 tbsp oil
TipA shop-bought gyros spice mix works too: 2 spoons per 600 g meat. The homemade one is less salty and free of MSG.
Strips in spices, ten minutesFry the chicken
Heat the rest of the oil in a large pan and fry the chicken in batches over high heat, 5–6 minutes per batch (about 12 minutes in all), until browned and cooked through. In batches, so it fries rather than stews in its juices. Cool completely.
In batches, high heat, until brownedPrepare the layers
Shred the lettuce into thin strips, dice the pickles and squeeze them, drain the sweetcorn, slice the onion into thin feathers, grate the cheese coarsely.
Ingredients: 1 pcs iceberg lettuce · 6 pcs sweet-and-sour pickled cucumbers · 340 g tinned sweetcorn · 1 pcs red onion · 150 g hard yellow cheese (gouda type)
Everything cut, drained, readyMake the dressing
Stir the mayonnaise with the ketchup and yogurt into a smooth pink dressing. Keep it thick, so once spread over the layers it doesn't run down to the bottom of the bowl.
Ingredients: 6 tbsp mayonnaise · 3 tbsp ketchup · 3 tbsp natural yogurt
Mayonnaise, ketchup, yogurtBuild the layers
In a glass bowl, from the bottom: lettuce, chicken, half the dressing, pickles, sweetcorn, onion, the rest of the dressing, cheese. Spread the dressing to the edges of the bowl with the back of a spoon so every layer gets its share.
TipLettuce at the bottom, under the chicken, never touches the dressing directly, so it stays crunchy for longer. Squeeze the pickles well so their juice doesn't pool at the bottom.
Lettuce, chicken, dressing, pickles, corn, onion, dressing, cheeseChill and serve
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, ideally 4. Don't stir before serving: scoop vertically with a spoon, through all the layers. Keeps in the fridge until the next day.
After two hours, scooped through the layers
Before you start
With mushrooms
200 g sliced button mushrooms fried with the chicken: more filling, less meat.
Lighter
A dressing of Greek yogurt alone with a spoon of ketchup and a garlic clove, and half the cheese.
To go
In 500 ml jars, the reverse of the bowl: dressing at the bottom, then chicken, pickles, sweetcorn, onion and cheese, with the lettuce right on top so it stays dry. For work or a picnic; tip into a bowl and mix before eating.
