A creamy British chicken salad made with tender poached chicken, curry, mango chutney, dried apricots, toasted almonds, and fresh cilantro. Serve it over lettuce for a light meal or use it as a flavorful sandwich filling.
3chicken breastsskinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds)
Kosher salt
1tablespoonblack peppercorns
2bay leaves
1tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
½medium white oniondiced
1tablespoontomato paste
1tablespooncurry powder
¼cupred wine
2tablespoonsmango chutney
Juice of 1/2 lemonabout 1 tablespoon
½cupmayonnaise
¼cupsour cream
¼cupchopped dried apricotsabout the size of a raisin
¼cuptoasted sliced almonds
¼cupcilantro leaveschopped
¼cupwate
Instructions
Poach the chicken:
Season the chicken breasts generously with kosher salt and place them in a single layer in a large pot. Add the black peppercorns and 1 bay leaf. Pour in enough cool water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch.
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 8–10 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and place it on a plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken by hand into large pieces and place in a medium bowl.
Make the curry sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it becomes slightly darker in color, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the red wine, ¼ cup water, mango chutney, lemon juice, and remaining bay leaf. Simmer until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Remove the bay leaf.
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the cooled curry mixture and ½ teaspoon salt, then stir until well combined.
Add the shredded chicken, dried apricots, and toasted sliced almonds to a large bowl. Pour the curry sauce over the chicken mixture and gently toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
Gently fold in the chopped cilantro.
Serve over lettuce or use as a sandwich filling. Refrigerate any leftovers.