American Chicken Salad

Here in Kennesaw, the weather couldn’t be better. Fall is here, football is in full swing, and the baseball playoffs are picking up steam. What better tailgate food is there than chicken salad? It is great as a side dish for hamburgers, a perfect filling for a sandwich, and a fantastic topping on a salad. The best part about it, however, is that it is easy to make.

This recipe combines some of the ingredients of the very first chicken salad conceived in America, tarragon and grapes, with some of my favorite ingredients, onions and pecans, to create a well–rounded, delicious chicken salad that is sure to please everyone at your next tailgate party.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

1/3 cup seasoning salt

½ - ¾ cup mayonnaise, I used closer to the latter and it turned out great

¼ cup onion, chopped

½ cup celery

½ cup seedless grapes, sliced in half

1 tsp tarragon

¼ cup chopped pecans

salt and pepper, to taste

Process

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with seasoning salt. Place the whole chicken in a large pot. Fill the pot with water so the chicken is completely covered with room to spare. Pour in the rest of the seasoning salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook for about an hour and a half.

When the chicken is done, pull it out of the pot and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Break the chicken down, place it in a large mixing bowl, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so (I use a large mixing bowl to minimize dirty dishes). When the chicken is cold, pull the meat from the bones. Place the meat in the same large mixing bowl. (You can add some extra seasoning salt to the chicken salad if you would like, but I didn’t add it to the recipe.)

When all of the chicken is pulled, mix together the chicken and the rest of the ingredients, except for the salt and pepper, until they are fully combined. Add the salt and pepper after you have mixed the rest of the ingredients so you can better gauge how much you need. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator overnight. It will be ready just in time for your Saturday picnic or cookout.

Taste Test

After sitting overnight, the flavors combine wonderfully to create a cohesive chicken salad. The grapes add a delectable sweetness to the salad while the tarragon delivers the extra zing I was looking for. The onions and celery give a nice crunch and add their flavors to the salad. The nuts throw you a curve ball, always seeming to pop up at an unexpected time, but the added layer of texture is always welcome. Overall, I think this recipe was a home run.

Leftover Quality

This chicken salad will stay good for a few days. Being mayonnaise-based, you don’t want to hold onto it for too long, though.