Haystack Salad

Rinse chicken and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Put it into a pie plate or bowl and cover with the heavy cream. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up to a day).

Prep your veggies: Shred the greens by stacking them and slicing the leaves into 1/2 inch strips. Drain and rinse the corn. Peel and shred the carrot. Seed and dice the tomato and peppers. Chop the pecans.

Put all of the veggies and the pecans into a large bowl. Set the bowl aside.

Stack the tortillas and slice them into 1/4 inch strips. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and when hot (you can tell when a bit of flour sizzles when sprinkled in the pan), fry the tortillas in batches until crisp and golden-brown. Let the finished tortillas drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Keep the oil-filled skillet on the heat. You’ll use it in a second.

In another large bowl combine the flour, salt, seasoned salt and pepper. Remove the chicken pieces from the cream and toss them in the flour mixture.

Fry the chicken in batches in the same pan you used for the tortillas, over medium-high heat. Fry until golden brown on all sides and cooked through. Let the finished chicken drain on a paper-towel lined plate.

Toss the chicken with the vegetables and nuts. Top with cheese and dressing (to taste). Serve each salad with a topping of tortilla straws.