Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 to 6 green olives, pitted and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 to 1 whole apple, cored and chopped
• 1/3 head iceberg head lettuce, sliced and chopped
• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon plum preserves, or any sweet berry preserve
• 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. If you’re starting with raw chicken, bring a pot of 2 quarts well-salted water, using 1 tablespoon salt, to a boil. Add the chicken breast pieces, let the water come back down to a simmer, then turn off the heat and put the lid on the pot. Leave the chicken in the hot water for 15 minutes, and yes, actually time it, while you get the rest of the salad together. If your chicken is already cooked, you can skip this part.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, preserves, and lemon juice. Give it a taste and adjust until it lands in that nice middle place: not overly sweet, not too tart. Add a little more preserves or lemon juice as needed, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir the chopped celery, bell pepper, olives, red onion, and apple into the dressing.
4. Take the chicken out of the poaching water and dice it. If you’re using cooked chicken, dice that instead. Add the chicken to the bowl and mix it with the dressing and vegetables.
5. You can stop here and make this ahead if you like. When you’re ready to serve, gently fold in the sliced and chopped iceberg lettuce.