My Fav Chicken Sald

So I am known for many things; a loud mouth, a person who can be called anytime you find a stray, a bitch, whatever. But my favorite thing is when I am known to be counted on for hooking people up with some good tasting food and then providing them with the recipe so that they in turn can create some good tasting dishes. I get my recipes from anywhere; sometimes I adapt them from favorite dishes from restaurants, sometimes I get them from my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, Simply Recipes, and Pioneer Woman, and sometimes I pull them straight from my gigantic stash of cookbooks. I have drastically reduced my cookbook collection, but still have a ton in stock. Even if I never wind up making a recipe I love to look at pictures of food. Weird isn't it?

So today I want to provide you with my favorite chicken salad recipe. This recipe was adapted from my one of my top sandwich's in college which I would get from Sugar Magnolia Bakery in Statesboro, GA who served their chicken salad on their homemade foccacia. http://www.sugarmagnoliabakery.com/ I loved that bakery. It was built right near the newly revived downtown and they had some great homemade lemonade. The only thing I hated was the odd hours they were open, but perhaps they were only odd because I was on a schedule where I woke up super late and went to bed super early.. in the morning.

After I finished giving you my best joke now I am giving you my favorite chicken salad recipe. Wow, am I a great person or what? It is yummy and I love to serve it with Rosemary Foccacia. You can get great Rosemary Foccacia at Your Dekalb Farmers Market, where all bakery items are organic. This chicken salad would be good on other types of bread too like ciabatta or thick bakery multi grain. Just pick a good bread from your favorite bakery and not white or whole wheat in the bread aisle of the local grocery. Also I should mention that the measurements I am giving you are not exact at all. I don't tend to use exacts when making foods, especially chicken salads. I think you should taste away and add more to your own personal liking.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

1. 4 bone-in chicken breasts and thighs
2. 1 red onion, chopped
3. 2 tart apples (I use granny smith) peeled, cored, chopped and then put 4 tbsp of lemon juice in bowl with chopped apple and toss to coat
4. Hellman's or Dukes Mayo, start with 1/2 cup and work your way up to more depending on consistency
5. Fresh tarragon, at least 3 tbsp (has to be fresh)
6. salt and pepper to taste

First, boil water in a large pot. Once the water boils throw your chicken breasts in the pot. Poach for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Pull out of water. Let cool a bit remove skim, toss, then remove meat and chop.

Mix all items in a large bowl and then add more mayo if you would like a thicker consistency. I prefer to go light on the mayo but that's just me. Don't add to much salt; you can always add more salt, you can never remove and you can severely mess up a dish with the addition of too much salt. Serve the chicken salad, if eaten by itself, in a nice bowl or plate, otherwise put in between two slice of your favorite bread and go to town. Enjoy!

***If you want to make your own foccacia ( bread making is not my cup o' tea) I found a great recipe at a year in bread