Summer salads: Chicken and melon salad with elderflower and tarragon dressing recipe

This is based on a salad that Joyce Molyneux used to serve at the Carved Angel in Dartmouth. The original recipe used elderflower vinegar but elderflower cordial and good-quality white wine vinegar is still lovely. Adding tarragon makes up for the lack of real elderflower. Serves 4 2 chicken breasts, skinned 300ml chicken stock Half a cantaloupe or honeydew melon 2 small avocados Juice of half a lemon 1 bunch of watercress, washed For the dressing 1½ tbsp tarragon vinegar (or white wine vinegar) 1 tsp elderflower cordial 80ml groundnut oil 70ml single cream 1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped Salt and pepper 1. Poach the chicken breasts gently in stock for about 15 minutes or until just cooked. Leave in the stock for 10 minutes, remove and allow to cool. Cut the chicken into 2cm chunks. 2. Cut the melon and avocado flesh into chunks of a similar size and squeeze a little lemon juice over the avocado. 3. Blend the dressing ingredients together in a food processor or whisk together until thoroughly combined. 4. Gently mix the chicken, melon and avocado in a bowl with some of the dressing. 5. Arrange on a plate with the watercress and drizzle over more of the dressing.