One of my lasting memories of Nonni is of her standing at the kitchen counter after a roast chicken dinner and pulling every last shred of meat off the bones. The chicken would then find its way into soup or whatever else she pleased.
Her depression-era tactics have served me well. On these warmer days, I like to use the scavenged meat in a quick curried chicken salad. If I'm diligent, I can get enough meat for 2 to 4 sandwiches before I freeze the stripped carcass for soup stock. That's three separate and substantial meals from a single chicken, if anyone is keeping count. Nonni would approve.
Curried Chicken Salad
If you don't like raisins, you can substitute chopped grapes, but I'm partial to the raisin version.
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
Handful or two of raisins
1/2 cup mayo
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. curry powder (or more)
Salt and pepper
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, onion, and raisins. Make a well in the ingredients and stir together mayo, mustard, curry powder, and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix everything together well. Heap into your favorite sandwich configuration.
picking at the carcass of a well roasted chicken is truly one of life's simpler pleasures.
for additional crunch, I also like mincing some celery and/or green apple, and tossing this in with the rest.
Posted by: cris | May 25, 2011 at 04:47 PM
Nuts! Put nuts in. Wow, I love the look of that roll-up.
Posted by: Cookiecrumb | May 26, 2011 at 01:44 PM
Yum! Yes to the nuts addition. And I despise raisins, so I use craisins in my curried chicken salad.
Posted by: Melissa RIley | May 26, 2011 at 11:46 PM
Melissa Riley: My father-in-law does that, too.
Cookiecrumb: I do have a giant container of cashews. Hmmmm....
cris: I like the sound of that!
Posted by: Tammy | June 13, 2011 at 10:12 PM