Recipes From Cafe 455: Chicken Salad

Chicken is one of my favorite things to cook simply because of its' versatility and almost universal popularity. These two chicken salad recipes were weekly specials in our cafe. The Spring Chicken Salad is my version of the classic recipe with more robust flavors than is traditional; while the Chipotle Chicken Salad is spicy and hot. You can create your own signature chicken salad by using your favorite crunchy vegetables or nuts and a variety of dressings. For instance, a Caesar chicken salad with chopped romaine and pine nuts or an Asian chicken salad with peanuts and sprouts.

Texture is a very strong component of a good chicken salad. Not only must it give your salad eye-appeal, but it must also feel good to chew AND stay composed. Shredded chicken is an option that I discarded some time ago, it is visually un-appetizing to me and does not feel good in my mouth. Small diced chicken breast is my preferred method because of the balance of the textures of all ingredients. It is important to get a fairly small dice of the chicken because larger chunks don't adhere together as well and tend to fall out of sandwiches (curse you gravity). As usual, I recommend that you allow your chicken salad to develop flavors in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours and up to two days.

SPRING CHICKEN SALAD Serves 4 - 6

• 3 cups small diced chicken breast
• 1/2 cup small diced shallots
• 1/2 cup small diced celery
• 1 cup prepared Ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup roasted garlic aioli
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• Salt & white pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients except salt and pepper in large bowl and stir to mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. If salad seems to dry and it's not holding together, add more Ranch dressing and/or aioli.

Serving Suggestions:

1. Place a scoop atop a bed of your favorite greens and garnish with hard-boiled egg slices.
2. For an appetizer, put a dollop of salad over a slice of Roma tomato on a cracker.
3. Appetizer #2, remove the yolk from halved hard-boiled eggs and fill the cavity with a scoop of chicken salad. Garnish with crumbled egg yolk.
4. Sandwiches, wraps and pitas

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SALAD Serves 4 - 6

Make chipotle mayo: You decide your heat level by the ratio of chipotles and adobo to the mayo in this recipe. I generally combine one small can of chipotles with two cups of mayonnaise, but if you like it really hot, feel free to reduce the amount of mayonnaise for your salad. You can also amp up the Scoville units by adding hot sauce, chile powder or diced fresh chiles.

If using a blender or food processor: Combine one small can of chipotles in adobo with two cups of mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in blender or processor bowl. Blend until thoroughly mixed, the color will be uniform with no small bits of unincorporated chipotles. If using an immersion blender: Put all ingredients in a medium bowl, immerse blender and blend very well.

• 3 cups small diced chicken breast
• !/2 cup small diced jicama
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts
• 1 1/2 cup chipotle mayonnaise
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir to combine well. Taste and add salt and white pepper.

Serving Suggestions:

1. As a filling for flautas.
2. Scoop onto large tortilla chips for an appetizer.
3. Fill a large flour tortilla with Spanish rice, chipotle chicken salad and shredded cheese for a wrap.
4. Place a scoop atop a mixture of chopped green cabbage, chopped cilantro and black beans.