Tea Party Chicken Salad

Continuing the Olympic theme. Today is some more high tea fare.




I get request all the time to make my chicken salad.  I will apologize up front that this is one of those eyeball recipes.  I can give you guesses.  A lot depends on how much chicken that you use too.  I usually make large amounts when I do make it.

Start out by boiling your chicken and eggs.  I add some salt, pepper and parsley to the water when cooking my chicken.  I always boil my chicken but you could bake it as well or use a grocery store cooked chicken.  I don't like fooling with a whole chicken I use chicken breast.

This is the rest of the stuff I use in making the salad.

I cut up the chicken into bite size pieces.

Add a little salt and pepper to the chicken.  I have found it is better to season the chicken instead of trying to season the whole bowl after it is finished.

I put the boiled eggs into the food processor to chop them up fine.  I don't really like boiled eggs that well but if they are chopped fine I don't mind them.  If you like bigger pieces you can leave them bigger.

I chop up some red grapes.  I cut these pretty small.  They also had seeds in them so I took the seeds out as well.

Add a couple of heaping tablespoons of sweet pickle relish.  Make sure to drain the liquid off them.

Dump them all in.

Add a squirt of mustard.  Just a little bit.

The secret ingredient that I add to my chicken salad and I have heard most people say they did not put it in theirs was sour cream.  I try to put about the same amount of mayo and sour cream.  The sour cream makes it a little bit creamier.

Several big heaping spoonfuls.  Start with a little because it is always easier to add to than take away.  Stir it up and see if it is moist enough for you.  

Mix it all up well to see if it needs anything.  Now would probably be a good time to do a small taste test to see if everything is balanced.

I almost forgot to add the pecans.  Sometimes I toast them but I didn't this time.

My ulu really came in handy chopping the nuts. 

Throw the nuts in and give it another good stir.

Looks good.  You can add some more parsley to the top and maybe a little paprika too.

I like serving them on croissants.