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Tarragon Chicken Salad on Irish Soda Bread

Source of Recipe

From "The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook" by Brian Noyes


Recipe Introduction

"Bonnie Benwick, one of my old Washington Post colleagues and now my recipe tester, fondly remembers D.C.'s much missed American Café and their chicken salad loaded with fresh tarragon, and we thought our Irish Soda Bread, tasty in its own right, would be a perfect match for it. Our bakery's original chicken salad, featured in the first cookbook, uses curry powder and gets texture from the apples, grapes, raisins, and walnuts, which might overwhelm the dense soda bread, which is already sprinkled with currants. This simpler, creamy chicken salad partners superbly with the soda bread."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of excess fat
â—¦ 2 teaspoons chicken stock base, such as Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
â—¦ 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
â—¦ 1 celery stalk (with leaves), cut into a few pieces
â—¦ 1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
â—¦ 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
â—¦ 2 teaspoons honey
â—¦ 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 or 2 limes)
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ½ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ â…“ cup finely chopped tarragon leaves (about ½ ounce or 1 small bunch, stems discarded)
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
â—¦ 8 slices Irish soda bread, toasted if desired, for serving


Recipe

Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full with water. Add the chicken, chicken stock base, whole black peppercorns, and celery. Bring to barely a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring a few times, until the chicken is just cooked through and no longer pink on the inside. Drain and discard the cooking liquid and solids, transferring the chicken to a cutting board to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large liquid measuring cup, use a fork to whisk together the shallot, mustard, honey, lime juice, vinegar, granulated garlic, ground pepper, and mayo until well blended.

Chop the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces and place it in a mixing bowl. Add the tarragon and ½ teaspoon salt, tossing until evenly distributed. Let sit for 5 minutes and taste, seasoning with additional salt if desired. Pour in the shallot-lime dressing and stir gently until the chicken is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least one hour and up to three days to allow the chicken to soak up some of the dressing. Serve on top of sliced bread, toasted if you like.

Makes 4 sandwiches