curried chicken salad.

It must be the week of trying new things.

Curried chicken salad was something new for me, at least, and I’ve had it on my radar for a while. To start, it’s an Ina recipe, and it’s one that I’ve seen on the Food Network a number of times. Daniel loves chicken salad, so I was all about this unique spin on the dish.

You start by roasting chicken breasts “the Ina way” – or so I call it, because I learned it from her. All this requires is buying bone-in breasts with skin, brushing them in olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, and roasting them in the oven on a sheet pan. A lot of people like to poach chicken for salads like this, but I find that this method is actually easier and produces meat with far better flavor.

Clearly, the curry powder is what makes this recipe, and I love the combination of that spiciness with the raisins, and then the crunch of the cashews. All curry powders are different – the one I have is called muchi curry, and it’s a bit spicier than other types. I love the heat that it gives, and I usually add more as the salad sits.

Curried Chicken Salad

From Ina Garten

• 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 {I use light or canola}
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chutney (recommended: Major Grey’s)
• 3 tablespoons curry powder, plus more to taste
• 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.