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Chicken Salad with Crème Fraîche and Rye

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Chicken Salad with Crème Fraîche and RyeMichael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

We'd serve this dressed-down chicken salad for brunch, pack it for lunch, or make it as a light dinner on a hot summer night.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1 large skin-on, bone-in chicken breast (12-14 ounces)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup fresh fava beans (from about 3/4 pound pods) or frozen, thawed
1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1/2 small English hothouse cucumber, very thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
8 slices Danish rye bread or other dense health bread, toasted if desired
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425°. Place chicken on a small rimmed baking sheet and rub with 1 tablespoon oil; season with kosher salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown and cooked through, 25-30 minutes. Let cool, then shred into bite-size pieces.

    Step 2

    If using fresh fava beans, cook in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain and peel. (If using frozen fava beans, cook 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain.) Toss in a large bowl with fennel, scallion, tarragon, vinegar, chicken, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil; season with kosher salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, whisk crème fraîche in a medium bowl to soft peaks (it will look fluffy); season with kosher salt.

    Step 4

    Toss cucumber with parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl; season with kosher salt and pepper.

    Step 5

    Serve chicken salad with bread, cucumber, and a dollop of crème fraîche, topped with sea salt and more pepper.

    Step 6

    Do ahead: Chicken can be cooked 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Shred just before using. Fava beans can be cooked 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

Reprinted with permission from What's for Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life by Curtis Stone. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Copyright © 2013 by Curtis Stone. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher CURTIS STONE is the author of five cookbooks and the host of Top Chef Masters on Bravo. He is also the creator of Kitchen Solutions, a sleek line of cookware sold in retailers worldwide, and writes a monthly column for Men's Fitness. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Stone honed his skills in London at Café Royal, under legendary three-star Michelin chef Marco Pierre White, and at Mirabelle and the revered Quo Vadis. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
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