Nic's California Chicken Salad

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 3 chicken breast fillets
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 2 rosemary sprigs, fresh
• 1 sprig(s) of fresh thyme
• 1 pinch(s) of pepper
• 1 liter of broth (or broth powder, stock cubes for this amount)
• 1 shot of white wine
• 1 cup chopped pecans (or almonds, walnuts)
• 1 cup cranberries, dried, chopped
• 3 spring onions, cut into fine rings
• 1 apple, sour (Granny Smith), cut into fine pieces
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ bar of sour cream or: sour cream, crème fraîche, yogurt
• 1 dashes lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tbsp mustard or more to taste
• salt and pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• 1 cup white cabbage, finely chopped (optional, see variations)

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

An American classic, slightly modernized

1 cup = 250 ml – The quantities for the salad ingredients can be adjusted to your taste; the salad won’t mind. Poach the chicken breast in the broth with herbs, garlic, pepper, and a little white wine. Bring to a boil briefly, then simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Remove the meat from the broth and let it cool. Once cold, either cut it into small cubes or shred it with two forks (or your hands, that’s how I always do it). Reserve the broth; you’ll need some for the salad dressing. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the salad. Put all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix. I always add a little of the broth at the end; it’s the easiest way to achieve a creamy consistency. You can fish out the thyme, rosemary, and garlic from the broth, finely chop them, and add them to the salad; I like to do that too. Variations: I love mixing in fresh, finely chopped white cabbage; it gives the salad even more bite and stretches it out a bit, as it’s quite rich. It’s also delicious to mix in some blue cheese. You can use curry powder instead of the mustard. You can also use leftover chicken or turkey, which saves you the first step. I like to make this after Thanksgiving. Here in the US, this salad is often eaten on bread (like in a sandwich). It’s perfect for a buffet or picnic.