This week's French Garden recipe

People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.

07/04/2002
Curried chicken salad with fruits (Salade de poulet aux fruits et au curi)

Ingredients:

Four 4 main-dish servings:

1 chicken, free-range if possible
2 flavorful red apples, unpeeled and cut into small chunks
40 red or purple grapes, halved and seeded
2/3 c. slivered almonds, or pecan or walnut pieces, lightly toasted
3 stalks celery, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c. crème fraîche or cultured sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise, preferably home-made
1/2-1 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder without turmeric
1 t. salt
Fresh redleaf lettuce leaves, washed and dried, for serving
Optional: Chervil sprigs for garnish

Poach the chicken according to your usual method. I add onion, leek, carrot, celery, and a big bouquet garni of mixed herbs for a flavorful broth. Reserve the broth for soups; skin and bone the chicken; cut the meat into 1-inch cubes and put into a large bowl.

Toss the apple chunks with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Add the apples, grapes, and celery to the chicken.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and crème fraîche, the remaining lemon juice, the salt, and part of the curry powder. It's hard to for me to tell you just how much to add, because curry powders differ so widely. Try to find one that doesn't contain turmeric, which will turn the entire salad bright yellow. Taste the sauce to see if you like it.

Gently combine the sauce with the other ingredients. Chill at least one half hour before mounding on lettuce-lined plates and topping with a chervil sprig, if desired.

Often as not, when I write these recipes, I'm writing what we had for dinner last night. As I am always boiling chicken in order to have good stock, I'm always looking for a use for the meat. This turned out to be a delicious and refreshing summer main-dish salad.

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Products of Interest:

Try some of our past French garden recipes:

Appetizers and small dishes

Basics

Beef, pork, lamb, and veal