Chicken Salad Veronique

A goodie compliments of FoodTV. I thought it would be perfect for this late summer heat. Although I must make a request right now: hot summer weather, it is time for you to go. You have definitely outstayed your welcome. This is Kansas, not Alabama. Enough with the 90-degree days. I'd like some lovely fall weather (you know, crisp and chilly and time to break out the old college sweatshirts?) so I can cook some soups/stews/homey cakes. Thanks, much appreciated if you can work something out.

Anyway. This went over well; the small bit in the pics is all that was left from a potluck. Yummy stuff.

Classic Chicken Veronique features delicately poached chicken breasts in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and seedless green grapes. In this chilled chicken salad version, the mushrooms are swapped out for celery (for some crunch), and the creamy sauce is replaced by mayonnaise. Also, the chicken is roasted rather than poached, which personally I think keeps the chicken more moist and gives a bit of flavor. The fresh tarragon has a very unusual taste, I've never used fresh tarragon before but it has a licorice-like flavor I've never noticed with the dried spice. Quite nice.

Chicken Salad Veronique

Ingredients:

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 c. good mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1 c. small-diced celery (about 2 stalks)

1 c. green grapes, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.

When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice. Place the chicken in a bowl; add the mayonnaise, tarragon leaves, celery, grapes, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well.