Have you ever met one of those people who abhors mayonnaise? I know a few. That can pose a problem for mayo-heavy foods like chicken, tuna, and egg salad. The key was that this chicken salad is mayo-free—an approach that’s common in, say, France, but not so much here in the States.
Standing in for the mayo is what is essentially a vinaigrette. In this case, I used a bit of neutral vegetable oil with some toasted sesame oil for flavor, and then a healthy dose of white vinegar for a nice, tart kick. Backing up that vinegar’s tartness is another sour ingredient: kimchi and some of its pickling liquid. The ratio I used here is has more vinegar than the classic 3:1 proportion of oil to vinegar you see in most vinaigrettes—for some reason the chicken tasted a little lackluster until I really pushed the acidity (the takeaway here is to know the rules, and then break them if you need to).
A generous grating of fresh ginger, toasted pine nuts (though sesame seeds work well too), scallions, and celery add plenty of freshness, zest, and crunch to the mix. It’s not like any chicken salad you’re likely to have seen before…which I know has made at least one person very happy.
Makes 8 sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken meat (from about a 3-pound roast chicken)
- 1 cup drained kimchi, chopped
- 1/2 cup diced celery (about 1 large rib)
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion, white and light green parts only (about 2 scalions)
- 3 tablespoons kimchi liquid
- 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sliced bread and frisee, if serving as a sandwich
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper and serve as a light salad or on bread as a sandwich. Salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container overnight.
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