Chicken Salad Spead

submitted by Jim

• 6 boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Note: With the exception of the chicken, have a little extra of each of the other ingredients on hand so you can adjust for taste at the end.

Place the chicken breasts in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until completely cooked. About half an hour should do the trick but test them by cutting into the thickest one to make sure it's done. You can't really overcook this so if in doubt, give it a little more time.

Remove the chicken pieces and run them briefly under cold water. They should still be warm.

Cut the chicken into one-inch cubes and put them in a large mixer bowl. Mix on low speed for a minute or so. I use a Kitchenaid mixer. I'm not sure how well this will work with a more traditional mixer with two beaters.

With the mixer running, add all the other ingredients, starting with the mayonnaise. Mix until well blended.

Taste to see if it needs more of anything. Adjust the seasonings and refrigerate until ready to use.

The flavors of the pepper, onion and tarragon will develop over time. If you plan to use this right away, you might need more of those. If you keep it in the refrigerator for a few hours, those flavors will get stronger on their own. More celery will give it some texture without changing the flavor. Add a little mayonnaise if you want a more spreadable consistency. Many people prefer Miracle Whip for recipes like this but in this case I think the sharper taste of mayonnaise works well.

This goes well at parties when served with crackers. It also makes a good filling for sandwiches or little pastry puffs. I'll be posting the recipe for the puffs next.