This simple, elegant and flavorful chicken salad features tender chicken nestled in a dressing of homemade mayonnaise studded with red grapes, pecans and blue cheese.
INGREDIENTS (for 6 servings):
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 cups halved seedless red grapes
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese
PREPARATION:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Drain, cool and cut into cubes.
While boiling chicken, make the mayonnaise: Using a blender or hand-held electric mixer, beat the egg, mustard, salt, water and vinegar until light and frothy. Add the oil a tablespoon at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Once mixture begins to thicken, you can add oil more quickly. Continue until mixture reaches the consistency of creamy mayonnaise. NOTE: The more oil you add, the thicker it gets; you may not need the full cup of oil.
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, grapes, pecans, blue cheese and 1 cup of the mayonnaise. Stir until evenly coated, adding more mayonnaise if necessary. Refrigerate until serving.