Description
Barefoot Contessa tarragon chicken salad combines classic French ingredients with Ina Garten’s signature elegance. Roasted chicken, fresh herbs, and a creamy mayonnaise dressing create a delightful lunch you’ll crave all week.
Ingredients
Scale
- 450 g (16 oz) shredded chicken
- 80 g (2.8 oz) mayonnaise
- 40 g (1.4 oz) red onion, chopped
- 40 g (1.4 oz) raisins
- 30 g (1 oz) celery, chopped
- 10 g (0.35 oz) fresh tarragon, roughly chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 10 g (0.35 oz) parsley, roughly chopped
- 0.25 tsp sea salt (a pinch)
- 0.125 tsp ground pepper (a pinch)
Instructions
- Preparation: Shred the cooked chicken into consistent, bite-sized pieces in a large mixing bowl, ensuring uniform texture and flavor distribution.
- Vegetable Preparation: Finely dice red onion and celery, creating delicate cuts that provide crisp texture and balanced flavor throughout the salad.
- Herb Integration: Chop fresh tarragon and parsley leaves, releasing aromatic oils and ensuring even herb dispersion across the mixture.
- Binding and Flavor Enhancement: Combine mayonnaise with chicken and vegetables, creating a creamy base that unifies all ingredients and amplifies overall taste.
- Sweet and Savory Balance: Incorporate raisins to introduce a subtle sweetness that complements the savory chicken and herbaceous notes.
- Seasoning: Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, carefully calibrating flavors to create a harmonious culinary profile.
- Mixing and Incorporation: Gently fold all ingredients using a large spoon or spatula, ensuring thorough blending and even distribution of components.
- Flavor Refinement: Conduct a taste assessment, adjusting seasonings by adding mayonnaise, salt, or pepper to achieve desired flavor intensity.
- Chilling and Serving: Refrigerate the chicken salad for 30-60 minutes to allow herbs and spices to meld, then serve chilled on artisan bread, lettuce wraps, mixed greens, or crackers.
- Storage: Transfer any remaining salad to an airtight container and refrigerate, maintaining freshness for 3-5 days.
Notes
- Herb Precision: Chop tarragon and parsley finely to release maximum flavor and ensure even distribution throughout the salad.
- Chilling Strategy: Refrigerate the salad for 30-60 minutes before serving to allow flavors to fully develop and intensify.
- Texture Balance: Cut vegetables uniformly to provide consistent crunch and ensure each bite delivers a perfect mix of ingredients.
- Storage Wisdom: Keep the chicken salad in an airtight container and consume within 3-5 days for optimal freshness and taste quality.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 374
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 238 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 79 mg