The Best Chicken Salad Sandwich
This is simple, delicious comfort food. My Grandmother Smith was the first to introduce me to poached chicken tossed with a touch of mayo and a sprinkling of parsley. Over time it has evolved to be a bit more “fussy,” but in an easy and casual way. Poach your chicken at just a simmer and allow to cool in the cooking broth so that it stays nice and moist. Dried cranberries can be substituted for the cherries and guacamole for the sliced avocado. And there is no need to add bread. It is wonderful all on its own nestled on a bed of butter lettuce.
Ingredients for 4 Sandwiches
1 pound raw chicken breasts
2 bay leaves
4 whole peppercorns
½ cup dried cherries
Juice of ½ medium lemon
½ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup of a high-quality mayo, or just enough to moisten the mixture
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 sturdy buns, such as sourdough or ciabatta
4 slices of crispy bacon
1 avocado, sliced at the last minute
Preparation
Place chicken into a saucepan and cover with water (or chicken stock), the bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and cook until 160 degrees. Cool.
Pull the chicken into large pieces and toss with the lemon juice, cherries, walnuts and mayo.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the salad onto the buns. Top with the bacon and avocado.
Preparing the Batter
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except marmalade in a large casserole dish and whisk until well blended. Stir in marmalade.
Dip the bread pockets into the batter, soaking on each side for 30 seconds. Remove, letting excess drip back into the batter.
Remix batter to distribute marmalade each time you add new pockets.
Cook on a griddle or larger sauté pan over medium heat in 1 tablespoon
of vegetable oil for each batch, browning well, several minutes on each side. Keep warm in the oven until all the pockets are cooked.
Serve with warmed maple syrup.
NOTE
To toast walnut pieces, heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add nuts and toss until browned. Watch closely, as they’ll burn the moment you ignore them.