As American as baseball, apple pie and my born-on-the-4th-of-July husband, chicken salad takes center stage on picnic menus and buffet tables across the fruited plain. In our refrigerator, chicken salad is as much a staple as eggs and butter. It is Mike's favorite choice for a quick satisfying bite, whether sandwiched or piled onto a bed of greens, that he (operative word is "he") manages to put together himself. Needless to say, I try to always have it on hand!
Chicken salad recipes are also as diverse as mama's pasta sauce recipes. Do we shred or chunk the chicken, add onions or grapes, walnuts or celery, mayo and mustard, or maybe the kitchen sink...the possibilities are endless!
But before we can get to all the fancy options, to me, it is the chicken itself, the quality of the bird and how it's cooked that makes or breaks a truly great chicken salad. Go ahead, chop up that leftover roast bird, and it may be tasty, but it may also be dryer than last week's line hung laundry! While a better choice for the dry leftover roast may be to make a saucy chicken casserole, in the event that you are indeed hoping for a chicken salad, my trick is to add pickle juice to the mix. Sweet and/or dill are equally wonderful, and then let the whole thing sit in the refrigerator an for hour or two before serving. That seems to help moisten things up again quite nicely.
My very first word of advice for a premium chicken salad is to buy a great piece of chicken, or whole bird. I have long since sworn off purchasing meats from the every day selections at the local grocery store, especially when the sale prices are too good to believe! I have had too many unpleasant experiences with standard store bought meats, and read enough about modern agriculture to know that what passes for styrofoam plated cello wrapped chicken is quite fowl indeed!
But before we can get to all the fancy options, to me, it is the chicken itself, the quality of the bird and how it's cooked that makes or breaks a truly great chicken salad. Go ahead, chop up that leftover roast bird, and it may be tasty, but it may also be dryer than last week's line hung laundry! While a better choice for the dry leftover roast may be to make a saucy chicken casserole, in the event that you are indeed hoping for a chicken salad, my trick is to add pickle juice to the mix. Sweet and/or dill are equally wonderful, and then let the whole thing sit in the refrigerator an for hour or two before serving. That seems to help moisten things up again quite nicely.
My very first word of advice for a premium chicken salad is to buy a great piece of chicken, or whole bird. I have long since sworn off purchasing meats from the every day selections at the local grocery store, especially when the sale prices are too good to believe! I have had too many unpleasant experiences with standard store bought meats, and read enough about modern agriculture to know that what passes for styrofoam plated cello wrapped chicken is quite fowl indeed!
Back in the day, when grandma made her famous chicken pie, she was using a bird that was raised much different than today's poultry farmers. That bird was most likely running around earlier that day, foraging for bugs and grain in the field, happily clucking with the local hens. Her muscles were beautifully natural, she was healthy and clean, and she probably never knew what hit her on that fateful day! But she made a delicious stew, yessereee! Okay, is this getting a bit morbid? Anyway, suffice to say, that is no longer the way most people get their poultry. Instead, it's all too common to hear of meat recalls, disease and contamination, and excessive growth hormones and antibiotics being used. I think I'll push away from the counter, thank you.
I know what you're thinking now, that it's way too expensive to buy the organic, grass fed or local farm raised meats. While it is more costly now, my choice is to pay a bit more now and live a healthier life, rather than to eat cheap now, gamble on health, and pay the medical bills later. Also, it is important to note that Americans eat way too much animal product anyway! If we cut our meat consumption to only a couple of times a week, we would be far healthier for it, and save some money too. Eat more veggies I say!
But for those who must have an occasional chicken salad, or like my husband for whom it is a dietary staple, I offer here my method for fabulously tender and delicious Chicken salad. Please note that like every basic recipe, there are a thousand variations and renditions. To say that there is a world's best chicken salad is a matter of opinion, the seasonal trend, and whatever strikes your fancy on any given day. There are days when the addition of nuts are a textural offense, and other days when the addition of cranberries would smack a sugary overload.
So here is my recipe for a basic yet interesting, home style chicken salad that offers a celery crunch, a mild red onion edge and the snappy addition of both dill and sweet pickles. And as you will see in the recipe, I cook the chicken by simmering it in a covered pot and allowing it to completely chill in the broth. Keeping the meat submerged in that savory broth until it's cold, keeps all that flavor and liquid in the fibers of the meat guaranteeing cold chicken that is flavorful and never hard or tough.
With enough vegetative interest to satisfy this "need-for-green" girl, I think it's good enough for a blue ribbon at the county fair!
I know what you're thinking now, that it's way too expensive to buy the organic, grass fed or local farm raised meats. While it is more costly now, my choice is to pay a bit more now and live a healthier life, rather than to eat cheap now, gamble on health, and pay the medical bills later. Also, it is important to note that Americans eat way too much animal product anyway! If we cut our meat consumption to only a couple of times a week, we would be far healthier for it, and save some money too. Eat more veggies I say!
But for those who must have an occasional chicken salad, or like my husband for whom it is a dietary staple, I offer here my method for fabulously tender and delicious Chicken salad. Please note that like every basic recipe, there are a thousand variations and renditions. To say that there is a world's best chicken salad is a matter of opinion, the seasonal trend, and whatever strikes your fancy on any given day. There are days when the addition of nuts are a textural offense, and other days when the addition of cranberries would smack a sugary overload.
So here is my recipe for a basic yet interesting, home style chicken salad that offers a celery crunch, a mild red onion edge and the snappy addition of both dill and sweet pickles. And as you will see in the recipe, I cook the chicken by simmering it in a covered pot and allowing it to completely chill in the broth. Keeping the meat submerged in that savory broth until it's cold, keeps all that flavor and liquid in the fibers of the meat guaranteeing cold chicken that is flavorful and never hard or tough.
With enough vegetative interest to satisfy this "need-for-green" girl, I think it's good enough for a blue ribbon at the county fair!
Home Style Chicken Salad
Serves 4
1 whole, bone in (organic, naturally raised, hormone and antibiotic free, or locally raised) chicken breast (which is both sides with the breast bone in center), about 1 1/2-2 pounds
1 tsp salt
2 ribs celery, small diced
1/4 cup small diced red onion
1/3 cup sweet and/or dill pickles diced small
1/3-1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp yellow mustard
1-2 tbsp pickle juice, sweet or dill, your choice
salt and pepper to taste
Place chicken breast, skin side up, in a medium sauce pan. Cover with cold water and add salt. Place lid on pan and bring to a low simmer. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes, until meat is cooked completely through. Remove from heat and allow to cool with lid on, do not remove the chicken from the broth. Place it all in the refrigerator until completely cold. I usually do this the day before.
When you're ready to mix things up, remove the meat from the now slightly gelatinized liquid. Save that for another use, like for cooking rice, or for the start of a fabulous soup! Remove meat from the bone, discarding bones and skin. Cut chicken into 1/2" dice and place in mixing bowl along with the other ingredients. Mix well, adjust seasoning if necessary, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve on a bed of greens, with raw vegetable crudites or as a sandwich filling.
Serves 4
1 whole, bone in (organic, naturally raised, hormone and antibiotic free, or locally raised) chicken breast (which is both sides with the breast bone in center), about 1 1/2-2 pounds
1 tsp salt
2 ribs celery, small diced
1/4 cup small diced red onion
1/3 cup sweet and/or dill pickles diced small
1/3-1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp yellow mustard
1-2 tbsp pickle juice, sweet or dill, your choice
salt and pepper to taste
Place chicken breast, skin side up, in a medium sauce pan. Cover with cold water and add salt. Place lid on pan and bring to a low simmer. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for about 45 minutes, until meat is cooked completely through. Remove from heat and allow to cool with lid on, do not remove the chicken from the broth. Place it all in the refrigerator until completely cold. I usually do this the day before.
When you're ready to mix things up, remove the meat from the now slightly gelatinized liquid. Save that for another use, like for cooking rice, or for the start of a fabulous soup! Remove meat from the bone, discarding bones and skin. Cut chicken into 1/2" dice and place in mixing bowl along with the other ingredients. Mix well, adjust seasoning if necessary, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve on a bed of greens, with raw vegetable crudites or as a sandwich filling.
RSS Feed