Waldorf Chicken Salad

Fresh herbs and ground fennel seed add a nice yet subtle flavor to this chicken salad. I prefer Jacques Pépin’s method of poaching chicken breasts for salads, so I include his preparation here. Serve on salad greens or bread for a delicious sandwich.

Recipe

1-1/2 lbs. chicken breast, boneless, skinless
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. ground fennel seed
1 T. fresh tarragon, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
2 celery ribs, minced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
1/2 c. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the chicken breasts and bring back to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. Chicken should register 165-degrees. Remove chicken from the water and let cool for a few minutes; refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, ground fennel and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Once cooled, cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the bowl with the mayonnaise mixture. Add the celery, apple, shallot, walnuts, tarragon and thyme and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.