Email to Donna Gregory      

Recipe Categories: donnag3591's HOME PAGEAPPETIZERS BEVERAGES BREAD BREAKFAST CAKESandPIES CANDY CASSEROLES COOKIES CROCKPOT DESSERTS EGGS FISHandSEAFOOD FRUIT icecream KidsPage MEATS PASTA PASTRIES piescobblers POULTRY RICE SALADandDRESSING SANDWICHES SAUCES SNACKS SOUPSandSTEWS SpecialHelp Stuffing VEGETABLES

Kissimmee Orange Chicken Salad




Source of Recipe


By Word of Mouth Restaurant; Ft Lauderdale


Recipe Introduction


For some time I have been wanting to write and ask about a wonderful chicken salad we had at By Word of Mouth restaurant in Oakland Park. The chicken was so tender, and it had toasted almonds and fresh chunks of oranges in it. The dressing was absolutely delicious — sweet and tart at the same time. I would be so grateful if you could persuade the owner to share the recipe. — Charlotte Weishart, Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here.

Owner Ellen Cirillo of the By Word of Mouth restaurant, 1200 NE 12th Ave., Oakland Park, 954-564-3663, is happy to share her recipe for what she calls Kissimmee Orange Chicken Salad. Cirillo says this salad won a contest in the early '90s.

You only have to try it and you will know it is a winner. The chicken is tender, thanks to a gentle poaching, then cooling in the liquid. We often make chicken salad when we have leftover cooked poultry, but for this recipe, we strongly recommend the poaching to ensure the elegance of this dish.

Add crunchy celery, scallions and toasted almonds as well as fine-chopped fresh rosemary and orange chunks and toss it with a sweet tart dressing, and you have a winning salad indeed.

You will find yourself making this dressing to use with other poultry, fruit and even mixed green salads. It is that good. The addition of chopped cilantro to the lemon juice, honey, mustard and mayonnaise gives it just the right flavor burst.




You can poach your chicken a day ahead. The Mustard Dressing can also be made ahead to allow the ingredients to marry.



Recipe Link: http://sunsentinel.com (You Asked For It)

List of Ingredients




Mustard Dressing:

•1 / 4 cup fine-chopped cilantro

•1 1 / 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

•Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

•2 tablespoons honey

•2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

•1 cup real mayonnaise


Orange Chicken Salad:

•5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1 / 4 pounds total), poached*

•3 medium celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces, then julienned

•3 very fresh scallions, white and green parts, sliced

•3 / 4 cup sliced toasted almonds**

•1 teaspoon fine-chopped fresh rosemary

•2 large seedless oranges, peeled, sliced into 1 / 2-inch rounds, each round cut into eights

•Green leaf lettuces (Boston, bibb or romaine recommended)





Recipe



To make dressing: In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Can be covered and refrigerated until ready to use.


To make salad: Combine all the ingredients except the lettuces in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over all and toss gently but thoroughly. To serve, arrange several leaves of your choice of lettuce on 4 plates. Divide the salad among them. Makes 4 generous servings; 6 small servings.


NOTES:
*To poach the chicken: Place chicken in a large pot and add water or chicken broth for additional flavor until the chicken is barely covered. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer (at barely a tremble, en riant as the French say) 8 to 10 minutes, or until no pink shows. To ensure even richer flavor and moistness, cool the chicken in the poaching liquid.

**To toast the almonds: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts in a pie plate and bake in the center of the oven 8 to 10 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely before using.

***To peel an orange: Cut a 1 / 4-inch slice off the top and bottom of the orange. Set on a cut end on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut from top to bottom following the contour of the orange and cutting beneath the skin and white pith to expose the fruit. Keep cutting skin off in strips until orange is peeled. Cut between membranes to release segments.