How to reheat cooked chicken

Amarante

Fri, May 06 2022, 11:33 am

There are different types of chicken salad. There is classic chicken salad which is typically "bound" with mayo and a variant of that is curry chicken salad which is delicious. There is also all of the variants of Chinese Chicken Salad. There are also salads which are cold pasta or rice/grain dishes which have chicken added as an additional protein. Lots of recipes for variants of chicken "bowl" type of recipes.

Here are some recipes. There are instructions for cooking the chicken but obviously one can use any cooked breast but the quantities give a guide in terms of how much the dressing will cover so you can modify amounts if necessary. The end result of any recipe is going to depend on the quality of the ingredients so if your chicken is flavorless or dry the dressing will hide it a bit but the best results will be if the cooked chicken is flavored and cooked well.

If I want to make a very quick chicken salad for a sandwich I make this dressing. I just add some diced celery and scallions to the chicken and add enough of this dressing to moisten sufficiently

Islands China Coast Salad Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well blended and sugar is dissolved.

This is a very classic mayo style chicken salad. Tarragon is a very traditional (and delicious) flavor but it is distinctive so make sure you like it.

 ULTIMATE CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE  

* 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 1/2 cup sliced almonds
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
* 1 cup red grapes, quartered
* 2 stalk celery, diced
* 3 green onions (green and white parts), sliced
* 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
* 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
* 1 lemon , juiced
* salt and pepper, to taste

TO MAKE THE POACHED CHICKEN

* Place the chicken breasts in a wide pot or pan and cover by about an inch with cold water. Season the water with salt. Optionally, you can add aromatics of your choice. Read my poached chicken recipe for more details.

Turn the heat to medium until it reaches a gentle simmer. Then reduce the heat back to low and cover the pan. Let the chicken simmer for 8-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Then chill in the fridge.

Transfer the cooled chicken to a cutting board and dice it into 1/2-inch pieces.

Slice and dice the celery, green onion, grapes, parsley and tarragon. Add those ingredients to a mixing bowl along with the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

This is a good version of a curried chicken salad. Curried chicken salads usually have some kind of sweet fruit added in the same way that mango chutney is typically a condiment with any curry dish. You can't go wrong with an Ina Garten recipe.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ina Garten

Ingredients

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise (recommended: Hellman's)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chutney (recommended: Major Grey's)
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)
1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

* Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt
and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken into large bite-size pieces.

* For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth.

* Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve at room temperature.

This is a good version of a traditional Chinese Chicken salad dressing.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ina Garten

4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally - can sub Chinese pea pods. I prefer Snow Peas to Snap Peas but either works
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

* Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.

* Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

* Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

This is a pasta version which uses cold chicken. I made it this week and it was good.

COLD PEANUT SESAME NOODLES WITH PAN-SEARED CHICKEN

Excerpt From: Sara Kate Gillingham - The Kitchn Cookbook

SERVES 4 AS A MAIN DISH OR 6 AS A SIDE DISH

Here’s something you probably crave and might never make: cold sesame noodles with a rich yet light peanut sauce. Hold the chicken if you’re a vegetarian, but otherwise, cook some chicken breasts on the stovetop in minutes, or experiment with other protein such as last night’s leftover sliced steak. This is the stuff of takeout dreams, straight from your own home kitchen.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
½ pound soba noodles
1 English (seedless) cucumber, about 12 inches long
2 medium carrots
5 scallions (white and light green parts), chopped
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

FOR THE SAUCE

¼ cup natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the peanut oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes, then remove and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, increase the heat slightly, and add the chicken breasts. Cook until golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breasts reads 165°F. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool.

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and run under cool water. Peel and julienne (see this page) the cucumber and carrot. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE

In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, pepper flakes, and reserved garlic and ginger. Add to the bowl with the sauce and toss to coat. Add the cucumber, carrots, scallions, and sesame seeds.

To serve, mound noodles onto individual plates. Slice the chicken into thin, diagonal strips and place on top of the noodles. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

Last edited by Amarante on Mon, May 09 2022, 10:11 am; edited 1 time in total