Classic Dijon Chicken Salad with Grapes And Apples

What can I say about chicken salad, my go-to item at your typical lunch counter? It's something I've made so many countless times it's never occurred to me to write it down before. There is nothing I find quite as comforting as large chunks of perfectly moist chicken. Using bone-in chicken goes a long way to ensuring your chicken is moist. The fat on the skin keeps the moisture in and the bones add flavor, all of which makes it a little more forgiving.

First, some basics. There is no RIGHT recipe for chicken salad, but the principles should be: some mayo/creaminess to bind it all together, some crunch for texture, some sweetness with some fruit, some onions for tang, and some mustard for flavor. Everything else is variable. I have used herbs, and I have left the herbs out because I wanted to keep it simple or because at the end of the day I dislike all things anise and licorice flavor and tarragon is constantly flirting at that border. I have used Sriracha. I have roasted chicken breast from frozen and cut straight from a whole roast chicken. I have used leftover grilled chicken legs. I have bought a rotisserie chicken. They all work with slightly different flavor.

This is my favorite, where I substitute apples for the classic celery and include grapes for sweetness. I prefer green grapes, whose skins I find to be slightly less bitter, but red grapes work too and add a nice bit of color. You can get away with using relatively tart apples in this recipe, but if the skins are thick you should consider peeling the apples first. If you don't have honey mustard on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon honey to 2 tablespoons mustard. Honey is powerful stuff, so use a very very gentle hand. 

Three breasts will make 2 to 3 sandwiches.


Dijon Chicken Salad With Grapes & Apples

3 Bone-In Split Chicken Breasts (Or 1 rotisserie chicken)
2 In-Season Apples (not Granny Smith, try Fuji, Braeburn or Pinklady)
1/3 cup seedless Grapes
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 red onion 
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Honey Mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon finely cut herbs (optional, parsley or chives)

Instructions

1. If you are roasting the chicken, place the chicken on a sheet pan. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle lightly with oil then roast for twenty minutes at 350 degrees. Let chicken cool completely.
2. Cut the breast away from the bone and remove and discard skin.
3. Cut chicken into 1" chunks and toss into medium sized bowl, making sure to remember to remove any cartilage or tough connective tissue you come across.
4. Cut grapes into halves or quarters depending on the size of the grapes. Add to chicken.
5. Peel apples, if desired.
6. Cut apples into 1/2" cubes and add to bowl.
7. Cut red onion into 1/4" pieces and add to mixing bowl. Toss lightly.
8. Add mayonnaise, dijon mustard, honey mustard, cayenne, and pepper to taste. Add salt if needed.
9. Mix ingredients until combined. Be careful not to overly mix so that most chunks of chicken remain in tact.
10. Serve either on a sandwich with lettuce and red onion or separately.

Warm Duck Salad

This is a Barefoot Contessa take on duck. Like most Barefoot Contessa recipes, it's open to a lot of interpretation. I often prefer strawberries to raspberries whenever strawberries are in season. Getting something flavorful should be the primary concern. There is just a ton of delicious duck and berries and orange and pecan in this recipe. It is filling and delicious as a perfect large lunch, light dinner, or first course.

The dressing I've always thought was a bit bland while making it, but this salad has so much going on, the very light dressing with a slight orange taste is just right. Just make sure you break out the 'good' olive oil as Contessa would say. I am upping the amount of orange zest from the original recipe and changing the mache to baby arugula and frisee, because my local Harris Teeter rarely carries mache, but frequently carries very good baby arugula. And who doesn't like a little frisee once in awhile?

The dressing and the duck will keep (although the "warm" part of warm duck salad won't be there), but salad is salad, so toss when ready to serve. A Barefoot Contessa trick for serving salad later....add the dressing to the bottom before the other ingredients and then toss at the end. Not really sure why this is easier from just storing the dressing in a measuring cup and adding at the end, but there you go.

Warm Duck Salad 

2	boneless duck breasts, skin on (pref. not frozen)
	Kosher salt
1	tablespoon minced shallots
2 1/2	tablespoons sherry vinegar
2	teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2	cup olive oil
3	heads Belgian endive
3	ounces baby arugula, mache or other delicate baby lettuce
	Frisee to taste (optional)
	Navel oranges, peeled, cut in 1/2, and sliced
1/2	pint fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries
1	cup toasted whole pecan halves

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the duck breasts on a sheet pan, skin side up. Sprinkle with kosher salt and a little pepper and roast for about 20 minutes, until medium-rare. 
3. Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. 
4. With a knife, remove and discard the fat and skin on top. Careful, the duck is still pretty warm. Slice the duck, and then cut the slices crosswise into julienned pieces.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar, orange zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
6. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.
7. For the salad, trim the bottom half-inch from the endive and cut them diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Separate the leaves and discard the cores. Place the slices in a large salad bowl. 
8. Add the arugula, frisee if using, oranges, strawberries/raspberries, and toasted pecans. Toss with enough dressing to moisten. Gently toss in the warm duck meat and serve immediately. Pepper to taste.