Chicken and celery salad is a light, diet-friendly dish that can be served as a main course for lunch or dinner. Celeriac (celery root), celebrated for its health benefits since antiquity, gives the dish a unique fresh aroma and a pleasant crunch. When dressed sensibly with a homemade mayonnaise made from quality olive oil and a pinch of aromatic curry, this salad becomes incredibly appetizing and wholesome. This recipe is the perfect proof that healthy eating can be truly gourmet without adding extra inches to your waistline.
Appetizing chicken and celery salad, garnished with fresh mint and served with homemade dressing.
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 large chicken breast fillet, 200-250 g (7-9 oz)
- 250 g (9 oz) celeriac (celery root)
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley
- Salt, black pepper, bay leaves, chili pepper pod
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 raw egg yolk
- 45 g (1.5 oz) olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp poultry curry powder
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and sugar to taste
How to Make Chicken and Celery Salad
Place a large chicken breast fillet into a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot. Add a teaspoon of salt, a couple of bay leaves, and a few black peppercorns.
Placing the chicken fillet in a Dutch oven with salt, bay leaf, and black pepper for a fragrant broth.
Pour in enough cold water to just cover the fillet, adding a chili pepper pod if you like a little heat. Cover the pot and heat until almost boiling. If using a kitchen thermometer, aim for exactly 80°C (175°F). Poach the chicken for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, and let it rest in the liquid for 15-17 minutes. This gentle poaching method guarantees incredibly juicy and flavorful meat.
{{1054}}
Remove the fillet from the pot, transfer to a cutting board, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Dice the meat against the grain into 1 cm (3/8-inch) cubes.
Dicing the cooled chicken meat against the grain into small cubes for the salad base.
Peel the celeriac (celery root) and julienne it into thin strips. Place the prepared celeriac into a pot, add a pinch of salt, and cover with boiling water. Bring back to a boil, blanch for 1 minute, then immediately drain through a sieve.
Julienning the peeled celeriac into thin strips before a quick blanch.
Prepare the mayonnaise-style dressing. Place a raw egg yolk into a tall blender cup. Add Dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, poultry curry powder or paprika, and salt and sugar to taste (I find 1/3 teaspoon of salt and 1 scant teaspoon of sugar works perfectly). Blend the ingredients using a hand mixer or an immersion blender. With the motor running, very slowly drizzle in high-quality olive oil, drop by drop at first. I recommend blending extra virgin olive oil with a neutral refined oil to prevent the dressing from becoming too bitter. Once all the oil is incorporated, continue blending for another 3-4 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
Whisking the homemade mayonnaise with mustard and lemon juice until thick and glossy.
Transfer the cooled, blanched celeriac into a salad bowl.
Placing the prepared and completely cooled celeriac into a deep salad bowl.
Add the diced chicken to the celeriac.
Combining the blanched celeriac with the diced chicken fillet.
Fold in finely chopped fresh parsley and freshly crushed black pepper.
Adding finely chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper to the main ingredients.
Dress the salad with the homemade mayonnaise—make sure all ingredients are completely cold before mixing! You don’t have to use all the dressing; adding less will keep the dish lighter in calories.
Drizzling the ingredients with the thick homemade dressing. Remember, all components must be cold.
Mix everything thoroughly, taste for salt, and chill in the refrigerator for half an hour to let the flavors meld beautifully.
Mixing the salad thoroughly and chilling it in the refrigerator for half an hour to let the flavors meld.
Serve the chicken and celery salad with a slice of whole wheat bread. Healthy and nutritious food should always be delicious, fresh, and appetizing!
Serving the finished salad with a slice of whole wheat bread—an ideal option for a healthy lunch.
To make your chicken and celery salad look even more tempting, serve it in a glass bowl or portioned out, garnished with a sprig of fresh parsley or a pinch of paprika. A slice of warm whole grain bread or crisp flatbreads makes the perfect accompaniment. If you want to experiment, try folding in a handful of crushed walnuts or finely diced sweet-and-sour apple to introduce exciting new flavor dimensions. Store the prepared salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours. However, it is best enjoyed 30 minutes after mixing, when the ingredients have exchanged flavors but still retain their vibrant freshness. Remember, the secret to its perfect taste lies in the precise poaching temperature, which makes the chicken melt-in-your-mouth tender.
0 comments