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Chicken Salad made from Roasted Chicken Breast
A dish I’ve made for years somehow didn’t get onto
this recipe blog. Perhaps that’s because it is nearly like the roasted chicken
salad we make at the restaurant, which sells very well there. But I don’t
expect that we will lose sales, or that some competitor will take advantage of
our trade secrets, if I post the recipe.
The key to what we make is rubbing boneless, skinless
chicken breast with seasonings and a little oil and roasting it. Then we chop
it finely (in a food processor usually) and mix it with diced celery and green
onion, mayonnaise, horseradish and lemon juice.
The finished product will keep for 6-7 days
refrigerated. It makes outstanding sandwiches, for example on croissants and
adding some thin-sliced cucumber or fresh spinach, or as an appetizer spread,
or for topping a lunch salad.
The recipe makes enough for six good-sized sandwiches.
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 3
medium breast halves)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dry Herbes de Provence (or 1/4 teaspoon
thyme plus 1/4 teaspoon oregano)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower or canola oil
10-inch length of celery stalk
2 green onions, white and green parts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
5 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Trim off tough or fatty parts from the chicken. Place
chicken pieces on flat baking sheet and sprinkle on both sides with the salt,
herbs and black pepper. Drizzle oil onto the chicken.
Roast in a 350 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for ten
minutes. Turn the pieces over and roast another ten minutes then turn pieces
over again. Continue to roast, 5-10 minutes depending on thickness, until
cooked: internal temperature of 165 degrees with a meat thermometer or no pink
color when a piece of chicken is cut in half. Let cool.
On a clean cutting board, split the celery lengthwise
into 1/8-inch wide strips. Cut them in half lengthwise. Line them up together
and slice them across thinly with a chef’s knife to dice the celery. Place it
in a mixing bowl. Remove the roots and bottom 1/4 inch of the green onions and
cut off the tips of the green parts. Cut the onions in half in the middle. Line
up the pieces and slice them very thinly. Add them to the celery. Add the
mayonnaise, lemon juice and horseradish. Mix well.
Add any pan juices from the chicken pan to the mixture
in the bowl. Chop the chicken finely: cut into chunks then pulse it in a food
processor, about half at a time, until well chopped, but not puréed or mushy.
Alternatively, slice then chop the chicken, part at a time, on the cutting
board, using the chef’s knife.
Add chopped chicken to the bowl and mix well until
evenly moistened. Taste a bit, and add a little salt, if needed, to taste.
The flavors intensify as the chicken salad is allowed
to sit for a while. Mix well one final time, and taste again for salt, adding a
little if needed. Use now, or refrigerate in a covered container.
