Are you going through something? Just existing in a depressive state? Or, are you stressed and don't have enough time to think about what's for dinner? Maybe, you just can't find the energy to cook?
This recipe has become my husband's and my go-to during a period of grief we're working through. Introduced to me by the best of people, I knew this recipe would live up to its "best" in the category name.
The version I'm posting here has been adapted from a Julia Moskin recipe on NYT Cooking. While the overall process and final product are the same, I have made tweaks since I didn't use as much chicken or the whole chicken she calls for.
Ingredients:
1 2 lb. pack of chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
1/2-1 cup chicken broth
2-3 scallions
black pepper
kosher salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 tbsp. tarragon, to taste
1/4 lemon, juiced
Optional (NOTE: We don't use these, so I guess I shouldn't call it chicken "salad" per se)
2-3 sticks of celery, cut into 1/4-1/2" pieces (your preference for thickness)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
FIRST: Fill a dutch oven (preferred, though any pot can work) with enough water to just barely cover your chicken breasts (but don't put them in!). Add scallions, using a pair of kitchen scissors to slice them directly into the pot; add 20 cranks of black pepper, more if you like. Bring to a rolling boil, and then cut the heat. Add the breasts and enough broth to cover them completely. Let sit in the dutch oven for 90 minutes, and then check the temperature using a meat thermometer. Turn heat to low and cook 20-40 more minutes, depending on breast thickness and internal temperature. Remove from dutch oven and place to cool for at least 20 minutes.
THEN: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mayonnaise, dijon, sour cream, and tarragon. Taste and add kosher salt and black pepper as desired.
FINALLY: Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and shred it as finely or thickly as you like. Add the celery and onion, if using, and then add the sauce from the mixing bowl. Toss until fully combined, adding s & p to taste. If you wish, you can also add more of any of the sauce components -- whatever suits your tastebuds! Serve on sourdough toast with butter lettuce leaves, as shown; the picture also shows this dish with Alison Roman's "Spicy, Garlicky Beans" from her book Dining In.
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