tarragon chicken salad
 
This recipe is adapted from the Silver Palate cookbook. It's always fun to serve a salad like this on top of a bed of your favorite greens tossed lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Adding nasturtium and/or borage petals, and watermelon radish for garni gives the salad a festive flair.
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts (I used skin on,
  • bone-in and followed Ina Gartens directions for roasting chicken breasts)
  • 1 cup Crème Fraîche or heavy cream (used for cooking chicken breasts)
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-long pencil strips
  • ½ cup shelled walnuts or slivered almonds
  • 1 cup red grapes
  • 1 tablespoon crumbled dried tarragon or 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or a combo of parsley, mint, basil, chives
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste to brighten up salad
  • Salad greens of your choice
  • Olive oil
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Edible flowers and/or sprouts, radishes for garnish, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large jellyroll pan. Spread evenly with the crème fraiche and bake until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Or use bone in skin on like Ina
  3. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces and transfer to a bowl.
  4. Whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise together in a small bowl and pour over the chicken mixture.
  5. Add the celery, walnuts, grapes, tarragon, additional herbs, and salt and pepper, and toss well.
  6. Add lemon juice to taste
  7. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 4 hours. Taste and correct the seasoning before serving.
  8. Serve on a bed of greens tossed lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  9. Garnish with flowers and/or sprouts and radishes
  10. Suggested add-ons:
  11. Add 1 cup dried cranberries instead of grapes
  12. Substitute cashews, almonds or pecans instead of walnuts
  13. Add ¼ cup diced red onion or scallions
Recipe by Food and Friendship at https://www.foodandfriendshipsantabarbara.com/2019/12/06/its-all-relative/