My new favorite! I like flavor in my chicken salads, but not too much, so I eliminate the onions and celery that most tarragon chicken salad recipes include. Most recipes also call for poached chicken (also known as throwing your chicken in a pot and boiling it for 20 mins), which is absolutely flavorless in my opinion. Instead, I grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts and add sweet dried cherries, warm toasted pecans, chives, and lowfat mayo.
So what is this "tarragon"? See those feathery green herbs in the photo above? That's tarragon. It's kind of hard to describe the taste unless you've eaten a vegetable that's similar in flavor but probably just an unfamiliar: fennel. Both tarragon and fennel have this fragrant and unique licorice flavor. Once you have it, you'll be converted!
Ingredients
2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts or breast tenders
2 tbsp. of chopped tarragon
2 tbsp. of chopped chives
1 cup of dried cherries or cranberries (or other tart dried fruit)
1 cup of pecans
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
3/4 cup of light mayo (or regular, it's your call)
2 tbsp. of white wine vinegar (plain white vinegar or lemon juice may be substituted)
Directions: Heat a stovetop grill or heavy bottom skillet (cast iron is better) on medium high heat. Drizzle the chicken with a tablespoon of olive oil or other light cooking oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. (There will be salt and pepper in the dressing as well, so go light here). Grill or saute the chicken in batches until cooked through. Remove from heat and allow the chicken to thoroughly cool. While the chicken is cooling, take a handful of tarragon, remove the leaves from their stems, and chop. Do the same with the chives. You can also substitute the fresh chives with 1.5 tablespoons of dried chives available in the spice aisle of your grocery store. Given the delicate nature of these herbs, you want to ensure that you are using a sharpened chef's knife. You don't want to crush them. Place the tarragon, chives, and dried cherries in a bowl and set aside.
Next, take your pecans and roughly chop them. They don't have to be pretty, just small enough to combine thoroughly in the salad. Alternatively, you can wrap them in a kitchen towel and crush them with a meat mallet. Also, most grocery stores sell chopped pecans in the baking goods aisle. Buying those will expedite this process. After chopping the pecans, place them in a wide pan and toast on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Watch this process closely because you don't want burned pecans. When they are ready, they should be slightly more browned and smell toasty. Add them to the bowl with the herbs and cherries.
In a small mixing bowl combine the mayo, vinegar, salt, and pepper until it becomes a thick dressing. Again, remember that you seasoned the chicken earlier, so be judicious with the salt and pepper here. You don't want an inedible chicken salad. This mixture should produce a tart dressing. If it is too tart for you, try mixing in a teaspoon or two of honey or white sugar. I do this often to balance and soften flavors that are too acidic for me. You should add any sweetener slowly and taste as you go, ensuring that the flavor has mellowed to your taste.
By now your chicken should be cool enough to handle. Cut it up and add it to the bowl with the herbs, pecans, and cherries. I like a small dice on my chicken. You can cut yours up to suit your taste. I've had chicken salad with huge dices and to me, that takes away from your ability to taste all of your flavors in a single bite. After adding the chicken, pour the dressing over the mixture and stir to combine. This salad tastes better after allowing it sit for a few hours. You should make this from 4-24 hours in advance. Bon appetit!
So what is this "tarragon"? See those feathery green herbs in the photo above? That's tarragon. It's kind of hard to describe the taste unless you've eaten a vegetable that's similar in flavor but probably just an unfamiliar: fennel. Both tarragon and fennel have this fragrant and unique licorice flavor. Once you have it, you'll be converted!
Ingredients
2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts or breast tenders
2 tbsp. of chopped tarragon
2 tbsp. of chopped chives
1 cup of dried cherries or cranberries (or other tart dried fruit)
1 cup of pecans
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
3/4 cup of light mayo (or regular, it's your call)
2 tbsp. of white wine vinegar (plain white vinegar or lemon juice may be substituted)
Directions: Heat a stovetop grill or heavy bottom skillet (cast iron is better) on medium high heat. Drizzle the chicken with a tablespoon of olive oil or other light cooking oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. (There will be salt and pepper in the dressing as well, so go light here). Grill or saute the chicken in batches until cooked through. Remove from heat and allow the chicken to thoroughly cool. While the chicken is cooling, take a handful of tarragon, remove the leaves from their stems, and chop. Do the same with the chives. You can also substitute the fresh chives with 1.5 tablespoons of dried chives available in the spice aisle of your grocery store. Given the delicate nature of these herbs, you want to ensure that you are using a sharpened chef's knife. You don't want to crush them. Place the tarragon, chives, and dried cherries in a bowl and set aside.
Next, take your pecans and roughly chop them. They don't have to be pretty, just small enough to combine thoroughly in the salad. Alternatively, you can wrap them in a kitchen towel and crush them with a meat mallet. Also, most grocery stores sell chopped pecans in the baking goods aisle. Buying those will expedite this process. After chopping the pecans, place them in a wide pan and toast on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Watch this process closely because you don't want burned pecans. When they are ready, they should be slightly more browned and smell toasty. Add them to the bowl with the herbs and cherries.
In a small mixing bowl combine the mayo, vinegar, salt, and pepper until it becomes a thick dressing. Again, remember that you seasoned the chicken earlier, so be judicious with the salt and pepper here. You don't want an inedible chicken salad. This mixture should produce a tart dressing. If it is too tart for you, try mixing in a teaspoon or two of honey or white sugar. I do this often to balance and soften flavors that are too acidic for me. You should add any sweetener slowly and taste as you go, ensuring that the flavor has mellowed to your taste.
By now your chicken should be cool enough to handle. Cut it up and add it to the bowl with the herbs, pecans, and cherries. I like a small dice on my chicken. You can cut yours up to suit your taste. I've had chicken salad with huge dices and to me, that takes away from your ability to taste all of your flavors in a single bite. After adding the chicken, pour the dressing over the mixture and stir to combine. This salad tastes better after allowing it sit for a few hours. You should make this from 4-24 hours in advance. Bon appetit!
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