Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon and Dried Cherries

When I had my catering business, my best friend Joanne would always make fun of me when, at the end of an event, I would suggest to clients that their leftover grilled chicken was perfect for chicken salad. Apparently I said that a lot! This recipe is mashup from one of my favorite old cookbooks (The Silver Palate), a recipe from a now closed restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC where I worked when in college, and my love of all things herby. I include this one as it gets rave reviews every time a make it, which more often than not, involves a minor variation each time.

Ingredients

Dressing

-1 small clove garlic, crushed

-Juice of 1 medium lemon

-1 tablespoon honey

-¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

-1 teaspoon kosher salt

-Freshly ground black pepper

-1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise (or a bit more to taste)

For the Chicken and Finished Salad

Marinade

-2 lbs pasture raised boneless chicken breasts

-Juice of one lemon

-4 tbl extra virgin olive oil

-Salt and freshly cracked pepper

-2 tbl chopped fresh dill

Additions

-2 stalks celery split horizontally and small chopped

-1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries

-1 small bunch fresh tarragon, chopped (more or less to your taste)

-1/4 cup dry roasted walnut pieces or sliced almonds

Method

• Heat grill

• Trim any fat from the chicken and place chicken in a shallow bowl

• Combine all ingredients for the marinade and toss with chicken. Marinate for 1 hour.

• In the mean time, combine all dressing ingredients and set aside in clean bowl large enough to hold the chicken when cooked. Adjust seasoning. If too sweet add more lemon-too tart, add a bit more honey

• When grill is ready, brush with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and grill chicken to an internal temp of 165 degrees. Set aside to cool completely and then tear apart into bite sized pieces.

  • I like this method rather than chopping the chicken

• Add the chicken to the bowl with the dressing along with the celery, nuts, dried cherries and tarragon and adjust seasoning

• Mix thoroughly and store refrigerated

Wine Pairings

Aligoté, a white wine from Burgundy, France, has a high acidity and light body can cut through the smokiness of the grilled chicken.

Pinot Grigio, another light-bodied white wine from Italy, has a crisp acidity and flavors of green apple, pear, and hints of white flowers that can enliven the freshness of the salad and balance the savoriness of the chicken.