Classic Chicken Salad

Tips & Tricks:

• 🔪 Skip steps with knife if you completed the prep ideas!
• 🧈 The butter and tarragon are optional, but will give your chicken a kick of more flavor.
• 🐓 I love to sous vide the chicken (instead of pressure cook), find directions here (up to step 3). If you sous vide, you can remove the chicken stock from your grocery list.
• 🚨Check out the Leftover Alert at the end of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb chicken breast
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth/stock
• 1 tbsp of butter, optional
• 1 lemon
• 2 sprigs of tarragon, optional
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tbsp minced fresh chives
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion (about 1/4 medium onion)
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery (about 2 stalks)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 4 lettuce leaves, such as butter, romaine, or use a handful of spinach

Directions:

1. 🔪 Cook Chicken (Sous Vide instructions here). (This can be done up to a day ahead).
1. Season both sides of chicken generously with salt and pepper.
2. Pour the broth/stock into the pressure cooker, then place the chicken in, and top with the butter, lemon slices (sliced from half a lemon - set the other half aside), and tarragon sprigs.
3. Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.
4. Prepare the veg and dressing (step 2 and 3) while the chicken cooks.
5. When the cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
6. Release the rest of the pressure, then remove the chicken. Discard the tarragon and lemon slices.
7. Cool the chicken by placing in a plastic baggie (tightly closed) and submerging the chicken in an ice bath for 15 minutes. Or, if you have time, refrigerate for at least an 2 hours.
2. Veg Prep
1. Finely chop the parsley.
2. Finely chop the chives.
3. Finely dice the red onion.
4. Finely dice the celery.
3. Dressing
1. Add juice from half a lemon and 1 tsp of zest to a large bowl.
2. Add mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, chives, red onion, celery, and garlic powder and mix with a rubber spatula. Keep refrigerated until chicken is ready.
3. Add juice from half a lemon and 1 tsp of zest to a large bowl.
4. Add mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, chives, red onion, celery, and garlic powder and mix with a rubber spatula.
5. Keep refrigerated until chicken is ready.
4. Combine
1. Cut cooled chicken into 1/2-inch cubes and add to the bowl with mayonnaise dressing.
2. Gently mix to combine.
3. Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more mayonnaise, mustard, or lemon juice to taste if desired.

🚨Leftover Alert

1. Serve extra chicken salad over a bed of lettuce, lettuce wrapped or as a dip with 🧀Cheese Crackers!