This is a modified version of David’s mom’s recipe for curried chicken salad which she proclaimed, “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 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.