Chicken Salad
From Georgeanne Brennan, author of Gather: Memorable Menus for Entertaining Throughout the Seasons (Sasquatch Books, September 2009).
This is a light version, with just a little tang from the yogurt. You can add more ingredients if desired, such as almonds, dried cherries, or dried cranberries. Use as a sandwich filling, appetizer topping, or on a bed of lettuce as a salad.
Makes about 30
INGREDIENTS:
3 whole chicken breasts (today we used one small whole chicken)
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped, including half the dark green stalk, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced shallots
¼ cup plain non-fat or low-fat yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon crème fraîche
PREPARATION:
- Preheat an oven to 350º F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast until cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove and let cool, then remove the skin and discard. Remove the meat from the bones and cut into ½-inch cubes.
- Put the meat in the bowl with the celery, onions, and shallots. Add the, yogurt, mayonnaise, crème fraîche, and remaining salt and pepper, and turn to mix well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. At this point, the salad can be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours.