chicken salad véronique

Last night I made Ina's Chicken Salad Véronique from Barefoot Contessa at Home.  It was a yummy warm-weather dinner.  I just served it with some good thick slices of honey wheat boule from Whole Foods.

The only suggestion I would make is to cut way down on the recommended added salt at the end.  She calls for 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and I thought that sounded like too much so I just used 1 teaspoon, and even that was a bit too much!  I think I'd use 1/2 tsp. at most.  Kosher salt is potent!

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

good olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1 cup small-diced celery

1 cup green grapes, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.

When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice.  Place the chicken in a bowl; add the mayonnaise, tarragon leaves, celery, grapes, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well.