This recipe starts with Martha Stewart’s roast chicken. I suppose there are other ways you could go about cooking the chicken, but I adore Martha’s recipe. It is simple and classic and it results in perfectly cooked chicken, every single time. (A quick note about Martha’s chicken recipe. She says to cook the chicken to 180-190 °F. However, the FDA recommends that chicken be cooked to 165 °F. I side with the FDA on this one. If cooked to Martha’s recommendation, I think the chicken would be dry and overdone.)
Recently, I’ve been attempting to roast a chicken at least once a month. First off, roast chicken is so incredibly delicious. In a world full of boneless skinless chicken breasts and chicken nuggets made of pink slime, it is easy to forget that chicken is real food that comes from a real animal. I almost forgot that chicken can taste good. But let me tell you, a properly roasted chicken is one of my favorite things to eat.
In addition, a roast chicken results in multiple meals throughout the week, and a whole bunch of homemade chicken stock. (And homemade chicken stock is the best!) While there are a number of great ways to use up leftover roast chicken, I almost always end up making chicken salad. What can I say? I love a good chicken salad.
I’ve made a lot of chicken salads in my day, and this version is one of my favorites. The crunch of the celery, the sweetness of the apricots, and the vibrance of the fresh spring herbs are just perfect together. It is the perfect springtime meal.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken (mix of light & dark meat), roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 2-3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 1 small shallot, diced
- Optional ingredients: chopped hazelnuts or diced green onions.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, hazelnut oil, vinegar, and herbs.
- Mix together chicken, celery, shallot, and chopped apricots in a medium sized bowl. Pour the sour cream mixture over the chicken and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Cover the chicken salad and store in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Serve with bread, crackers, or in lettuce cups.
http://rosemarried.co/2014/03/27/tarragon-apricot-chicken-salad/