This is a modified version of David's mom's recipe for
curried chicken salad which she proclaims, "The best I have ever
tasted." We agree, but since we almost always have to improvise
recipes aboard, I have included notes about the ways we vary her excellent
recipe.
6-8 cups cooked chicken*
1 can water chestnuts
2 pounds grapes**
2-3 cups sliced celery
1-2 cups (Hellman's) mayonnaise
1 T curry powder (or to taste)
2 T soy sauce
2 T lemon juice (fresh squeezed if you have lemons)
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
Cook chicken, let cool and cut-up into bite-size pieces.
In a large bowl, mix chicken with the remaining ingredients, reserving some
almonds to sprinkle over the top for garnish. Chill for at least one hour
and serve as is or over a bed of lettuce (spring mix, green leaf or red leaf
lettuce is best).
* I usually cook boneless chicken breasts in the pressure
cooker with 1.5 inches of water and/or white wine for about 12-15 minutes.
I usually add peppercorns, bay leaf, sea salt and any other fresh herbs that are
on-hand, such as thyme or rosemary. This gives the chicken a nice flavor,
and it usually comes out very tender. If you have time, chill the chicken
before cutting it into pieces.
**Red, seedless grapes are best for added color and ease
of preparation, however, any grape will do. If they are not seedless, I
just slice the grapes in half and remove the seeds. If you don't have
access to fresh fruit, try golden raisins instead.
