While this post is a bit late on the topic of the delicious bread seen above, I was recently in Ann Arbor, MI visiting the Vegetarian’s family (and seeing Michigan destroy Minnesota at the Big House). For those that do not know, Ann Arbor is home the the culinary empire of Zingerman’s [3]. The empire includes a deli, upscale restaurant, creamery and bakehouse. The bakehouse makes some of the most delicious breads you can imagine including the ultimate chocolate cherry bread. Sadly, Zingerman’s deli was out of that bread, but I did come home with a loaf of sicilian sesame semolina bread. With the bread staring me in the face, I knew I had to do something, quick. I decided to make a chicken salad that popped up that day on Serious Eats [4] (surprise, surprise).
I’m not the biggest fan of chicken salad, but curried chicken salad, that is another story. When the recipe popped up, including red grapes and cashews, along with the curry flavor, I knew I had to make it. Luckily for me, I had all the necessary ingredients at home. I opted for non-salted cashews rather the salted, I don’t think you could tell the difference. The recipe includes a bit of honey, which I thought was a tad much with the grapes as well. I opted to leave out the honey and also use dark meat chicken (which, in my opinion, has more flavor anyway). Normally when I make chicken salad I boil the chicken, but this time I baked the bone in chicken legs and thighs before making the salad. The chicken salad was juicy and full of flavor, even if you don’t have Zingerman’s bread to hang your salad on.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Recipe based on Serious Eats [5]
3 pounds bone-in dark meat chicken (thighs and legs, or just thighs)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise (recommended: Hellmann’s)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup un-salted cashews
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
3 scallions, finely sliced
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Arrange chicken thighs and legs skin-side up on baking sheet. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, or until done. Let cool.
In the meantime, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and pull meat off bones. Cut into small bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to dressing, along with cashews, celery, grapes and scallions; toss well. Adjust seasonings if necessary (more salt/pepper).