This secret ingredient gives chicken salad just the right twist!
Do you also get the feeling that when most people hear the words ‘chicken salad’, they think of some kind of chicken curry-like concoction from the Johma family? Which, in my opinion, consists mostly of sauce in which you have to search for a tiny shred of chicken? While Americans, with their chicken salad, proudly serve a rich salad with substantial pieces of chicken and little arcs of celery, along with a thick, creamy, rich dressing, of course. And this ingredient gives that dressing an interesting twist:
Because Ree Drummond has been at the forefront of all-American cooking with her blog The Pioneer Woman for years, and she certainly knows what to do with the classics. Casseroles, chili, pancakes; don’t expect higher molecular gastronomy here, but rather easy, cozy comfort food. Still, she often tries to give recipes a little twist, such as with this ingredient that you certainly won’t encounter in a standard version of chicken salad: brown sugar!
Deliciously creamy
Ree is no fan of low-fat products, so she recommends using mayonnaise and full-fat yogurt as the basis for the dressing. Mix 100 ml of each with the juice of a lemon, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of brown sugar. This should provide just enough counterbalance to the tart freshness of the yogurt and lemon, with the added benefit of a deeper, fuller flavor than you would get with regular sugar.
Crunchy and fresh
She makes the green base of the salad with celery stalks (two or three, sliced into arcs), two handfuls of grapes (halved) (personally, I would leave these out) and a handful of freshly chopped herbs such as dill or cilantro. Add the meat from a whole chicken, cut into cubes. If you don’t feel like preparing a whole chicken first, cook chicken breast, but read these tips on how to prevent dry chicken breast first! Mix with the rich dressing and let it chill thoroughly in the fridge for a little while. Delicious in lettuce cups, on a good, thick sandwich or simply straight from the bowl…
Also read:
- This is how long you should marinate or brine chicken (+example!)
- The trick to the very best chicken
- Recipe: French-seasoned chicken with black olives, artichokes & potatoes
Source: The Pioneer Woman
