Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 30 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings
If any salad deserves a glow-up, it’s the fussy old Waldorf. Luckily, we’ve got just the makeover. Delicately poaching chicken in apple cider makes for moist, juicy strands of meat, and a honey mayonnaise adds sweet richness to the onions, apples, walnuts and grapes you know and love.
Ingredients:
Cider Poached Chicken:
- 1 pound (454 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cup (350 ml) apple cider
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
- Salt
Honey Mayo:
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) honey
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
- 1/8 teaspoon (.75 ml) cayenne
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) reserved poaching liquid
Salad:
- ½ red onion, small dice
- 2 red apples, ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
- 3 stalks celery, sliced thin on an angle
- ½ cup (120 ml) halved red grapes
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chopped toasted pecans
- Honey Mayo
- 6 cups (1.4 L) lettuce mix (red leaf, bibb, spinach, alfalfa sprouts)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- ½ lemon, juice
- Salt and pepper
- Cider Poached Chicken
- Celery leaves, to garnish
- Toasted pecans, to garnish
Method:
For the Cider Poached Chicken:
In a small skillet over medium heat, combine the chicken, apple cider, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt.
Bring to simmer and keep cooking until the chicken is cooked and tender; about 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken to cool. Strain and reserve the poaching liquid, discarding the solids. Add the apple cider vinegar and season with salt (set aside separately 2 tablespoons/30 ml of the liquid for the Honey Mayo).
When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken by hand and return to the poaching liquid.
Refrigerate until needed. To save time, the chicken may be prepared in advance.
For the Honey Mayo:
In the bowl of a blender, combine the egg yolks, lemon, mustard, and honey, blitz until smooth.
While the motor is running, add the oil in a slow steady stream until a rich creamy sauce is formed.
Transfer to a small bowl, season with salt and cayenne, and thin out as needed with the reserved poaching liquid.
For the Salad:
In a bowl, combine the onion, apples, celery, grapes, and pecans, toss to mix.
Dress the veggie-fruit mixture with the Honey Mayo, as preferred, about ¼ cup (60 ml) to start.
In a separate bowl, dress the lettuce mix with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Lay out the dressed lettuce mix on a serving platter. Top with the veggie-fruit-mayo mixture.
Remove chicken from the marinade/poaching liquid and allow excess liquid to drain off (do not squeeze out), arrange over the salad.
Garnish with celery leaves, toasted pecans and more of the Honey Mayo as needed.