Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad Recipe

For those of us lucky enough to live on the Côte d’Azur, now is the best time to enjoy light lunches en plein air under the autumn sun. Tarragon, with its delicate aniseed flavour, has long held a special place in French cooking, adding a distinctive touch to everything from sauces and dressings to chicken and seafood. This simple tarragon chicken salad brings those classic French flavours together with tender chicken, crisp celery and a creamy, lemony dressing, creating a delicious dish for a leisurely lunch by the Mediterranean sea.

Tarragon Chicken Salad Recipe (serves 4)

Ingredients

• Left-over cooked chicken or three free-range chicken breasts
• Two celery stalks, washed and chopped
• Fresh tarragon, chopped
• Crème fraiche
• Whole Egg Mayonnaise
• Natural yoghurt
• Dijon mustard
• Lemon juice
• Salad leaves
• Toasted flaked almonds (optional)

Preparation

1. If you don’t have any left-over cooked chicken, start by preparing the chicken.
   Take a large saucepan, fill it with water then add one chicken stock cube, salt and pepper.
2. Bring it to the boil then turn down the heat to simmering. Add the chicken breasts and poach slowly until the chicken is cooked through. (I find poaching makes the chicken more tender than baking it in the oven)
3. Set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, shred it by hand or with the aid of a fork into bite-sized pieces. When you’ve finished, you should have approximately 3 cups of cooked chicken.
4. Next prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, lemon juice, mustard and finely chopped spring onions. Stir until smooth and well combined.
5. To finish the salad, gently fold the celery, chicken and chopped tarragon into the dressing. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. The salad can be kept chilled for up to two days.
6. Before serving, prepare a bed of green leaves, put the chicken salad on top and sprinkle with some flaked almonds to add some extra crunch.

INSIDER TIP: If your family includes growing kids or ravenous teenagers, you could also use this chicken salad as a yummy sandwich filling.

Inspired by True North Kitchen’s Chicken Salad recipe.