Cooking Lesson 1034: Cordon Bleu Chicken Salad

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? When I develop and write recipes you can be sure they will be foolproof, or you can use them as an inspiration enabling you to alter them to your own tastes.  Inspirations for great food can be found everywhere, and that’s the case with my Cordon Bleu Chicken Salad Salad.
 
The secret ingredients other than chicken are toasted cashews, sweetened dried cranberries and tarragon. Tarragon is an herb, with a slight anise or licorice aroma and taste. It’s not used all that often, but it does work well with chicken and turkey. The lemon juice adds a touch of acidity to brighten all the flavors, and the dried cranberries add some sweetness to the chicken salad—a wonderful sweet and sour brightness. By the way, tarragon is that special seasoning used in a classic béarnaise sauce. Tarragon is commonly used with fish — like in fish cakes with tarragon mayo—and poultry—like in herb roasted chicken thighs.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  4 servings

​Ingredients 
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 cups chunky chopped cooked white and dark chicken meat
1/4 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
1 finely chopped celery
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup rough chopped toasted cashews
 
Directions

1. In a large bowl mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and tarragon together.
2. Add the chicken, dried cranberries and celery.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix all ingredients together.
4. Topped with roasted cashews.
5. Serve over lettuce for a simple salad, or in a tomato that has been cut open for a stuffed tomato, or between slices of toasted bread for a chicken salad sandwich.

-------------------------------------------
ChefSecret:  The flavor of fresh tarragon is concentrated in the dried herb form. Do not substitute them 1:1 in a recipe. When substituting dried for fresh, use a 1:3 ratio. Use 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon if the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon. Dress it up a bit by sprinkling a tablespoon of chopped chives on top.

Quip of the Day:  Step by step process on how to make a chicken salad:
Step 1: Make a salad. Step 2: Serve it to your chicken!
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Salads #Chicken #Entrees #ChickenSalad #Sandwiches #ChickenSaladSandwiches #Tarragon #Lunch #Dinner #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                  ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

---