Mustard Chicken Salad-we sampled this delicious and pretty salad at our activity.

I first saw this recipe demonstrated on the "Barefoot Contessa" on the Food Network. It sounded good, so I looked it up on line and gave it a try. Her recipe calls for a tablespoon of salt but I reduced it to 2 teaspoons. 

MUSTARD CHICKEN SALAD                  from Chris Fitzgerald

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

olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup dijon mustard

3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skins and bones and tear the chicken into large bite sized pieces.

3. Add the broccoli florets to a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook for 30 seconds, until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water until cool. This will stop the cooking process and set the bright green color.

4. For the dressing: whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add enough sauce to the warm chicken to moisten well. Add the tarragon, broccoli and tomatoes, and gently mix. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.* Serve at room temerature.

*This step really does enhance the flavor of the salad but it tastes very good served just after assembly too.