Jane Ann's Chicken Salad

Here's a post for Jules:

Jane Ann's Chicken Salad

4 chicken breast halves, cooked* and chopped

(large chunks are fine—they break up with mixing)

(celery to chicken ratio approx. 1½ to 2)

Crushed pineapple in sweet syrup, well drained

("push" juice out through a strainer)
(l large can is usually enough but "lots" is good—

add a small can too?)

Hellman's mayonnaise—always use Hellman's
(enough to bind)

Toasted* sliced almonds
(a few handfuls)

Salt and pepper to taste (I like lots of pepper)

Proportions are really approximate. I've never measured, just add by taste.

*To cook chicken:
I use breasts with bone and skin on.
Cover with water to which you've added

chunks of onion, celery, and carrots.
Cover pot and heat over med. to med. high just below a boil

(boiling toughens the meat).

Reduce to med. low or low to simmer (that means barely bubbling

occasionally) for 20-30 minutes. (Low simmering keeps meat tender.)
Remove chicken from pot. I lay it on a dinner plate

with the pot lid lying on top, just to keep it from drying out,

while it drains and cools.
When cool, remove skin and pull meat from bones.

(A thrifty cook would then make soup with the stock,

but I'm usually too lazy.)

*To toast almonds:
Pour a large pkg. of sliced almonds (8 oz.?—the size of a bag of chocolate chips) into a large dry skillet

(Teflon coated if you have one). No oil.
Set on stove over med. heat. Stir pretty much constantly till brown.
Important: Almonds will continue crackling and browning

even when removed from heat, so err on the side of under-browning.

They will also burn very quickly,

so be sure to keep them moving in the pan.

Allow to cool before adding to chicken salad.

If I make a really large batch, I zip-lock bag the left-overs

and use in tossed salads.



Like anything you cook often, you get better and better

each time you make it. Soon you'll be a chicken salad queen.