Lemon Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Sandwich on a Croissant

I wait all year long for grapes to come into season just so I can make my favorite chicken salad. I still make it during the rest of the year, but it isn’t quite as good without the snap and sweetness of fresh red grapes. Oh, and they have to be the red seedless ones because they are prettier, LOL. So in August and September when the grapes are at their sweetest, I alternate chicken salad sandwiches with heirloom tomato dishes!

Red and Green Seedless Grapes

When grapes are not in season, a close second for me is substituting chopped apples or sweetened dried cranberries. But make sure you get the sweetened berries, otherwise you’ll walk around puckered up like you just had a spoonful of lemon juice! You can also make this salad with other types of poultry. This is especially good during the holidays when you have leftover turkey just waiting to be turned into something scrumptious.

I only use Light mayonnaise for everything. I find that the lower fat content is just as satisfying without leaving a heavy coating on my tongue. Do not substitute Miracle Whip – the sweetness doesn’t go with these ingredients. If you are watching your calories, you can substitute up to half of the mayonnaise with low-fat yogurt. It will add a slight sourness, so I would leave out the capers if you use it.

Poaching foods can be intimidating for people who haven’t done it yet, but it is one of the easiest techniques in the kitchen to learn. Essentially you make a flavored broth with water and white wine, add aromatics like onions and herbs, and simmer it to infuse the flavors. Then you add your protein (chicken and fish are most common) and very gently cook it at a slow simmer. This is just below the boiling point. There will be some very small bubbles. Your chicken will be tender, moist and lightly flavored – perfect to add to this salad!

Chopped and Whole Scallions/Green Onions

Jane’s Tips and Hints:

Of course you can use this salad in a sandwich, but don’t forget that you can also serve this over dressed greens for a healthy meal with fewer carbohydrates! This is a perfect idea for Sunday Brunch! 

Lemon Chicken Salad

2015-07-24 15:36:46

Yields 4

Lemon juice lightly perfumes mayonnaise making this perfect for hot summer days. You can also use low-fat yogurt for a portion of the mayo.

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Ingredients

1. Salad
2. 3 cups medium diced cooked chicken (roasted, rotisserie, or poached, see recipe following)
3. 2/3 cup finely diced celery
4. 1 tsp well drained capers, minced
5. 1/4 cup finely minced red onion
6. 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved or quartered, or dried sweetened cranberries, plumped
7. 1 tsp dried thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, lightly bruised
8. 1/3 to 1/2 cup light mayonnaise, or to taste
9. 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
10. 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
11. Kosher salt to taste
12. 4 large croissants or 8 slices of artisan bread
13. 4 washed and dried green or red leaf lettuce leaves
14. Chicken Poaching “court bouillon”
15. 2 cups water
16. 1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
17. 2 shallots, peeled and studded with 4 whole cloves
18. 1 whole clove garlic, peeled
19. 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3 pieces
20. 1 stalk celery
21. 1 bay leaf
22. 8 to 10 whole peppercorns
23. 2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
24. 1 lb boneless chicken breasts

Instructions

1. To make the salad: You can poach the chicken as directed below, or use roasted or baked chicken. This is the perfect place to use rotisserie chicken from the market and save yourself some time! Chop into small bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Stir in celery, capers, onions, grapes, and thyme. Toss until evenly distributed.
2. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon pepper, and salt. Stir thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir half of seasoned mayonnaise into chicken mixture. Add remaining as desired, depending on how “wet” you like your salad. Hint: if you are using a delicate bread, you may want to use less so it doesn’t get soggy.
3. Split croissants in half, line with a lettuce leaf, and fill with equal amounts of chicken salad. Serve immediately.
4. To poach the chicken: Combine water and wine in a large pot, big enough to hold all the chicken. Add remaining poaching ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 more minutes, to infuse the water with the flavors of the additions. Skim any foam that collects on top and discard it.
5. Add the chicken and cook for 20 minutes, keeping the liquid just below a boil, about medium-low. Turn off the heat, move the pot off the heat and let chicken sit in the broth until cool. This finishes the cooking without drying the chicken out. Do not leave out of refrigeration longer than 2 hours for food safety.
6. Transfer to a container and store the chicken submersed in some of the liquid, in the refrigerator until ready to use, or up to 2 days. The remaining liquid can be strained and used as a base for making chicken soup or you can poach additional chicken in it. It will hold in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

By © 1984 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook. All rights reserved.

The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/

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