COOKING CHICKEN BREASTS FOR CHICKEN SALAD

You can buy chicken salad at your favorite deli but it's so much better if you make your own. It takes a little time but it's so worth it. I've always thought chicken salad should be made only with chicken breasts and the recipes I provide call for these. But occasionally, when I've had a rotisseri chicken, and eaten the breasts, I sometimes make chicken salad out of the rest of the meat. Dark meat does have more flavor so if you're using only white meat, you need to add flavor to the salad. First, how to cook the breasts.

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN BREASTS

I used to cook chicken breasts by poaching them in white wine, fresh lemon juice and fresh thyme. Poaching allows the chicken to cook slowly and keeping them in the poaching liquid while they cool helps keep the chicken moist. You might want to cut into a piece at the end of the cooking process, just to be sure the breasts are done. Although I use thyme, you can be fearless in your choice of herbs, remembering that whatever you use will provide most of the flavor. And remember that the wine you use (in all your recipes) should be just as good as the wine you drink.

POACHING (for one whole, or two pieces, boneless breasts of chicken)

1/2 C dry white wine

1/2 t salt

1 T black peppercorns (whole)

juice of half of a fresh lemon

5 sprigs thyme

In a large saucepan, combine the wine, salt, peppercorns, lemon juice and thyme sprigs. Add the chicken breast (two pieces) and enough water to cover. Heat the liquid to a boil, and skim off any scum that forms. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, if you're making chicken salad, allow the chicken to cool in the liquid for 45 minutes.

Note: be sure to add enough water to cover the chicken breasts completely and remember that this level will drop as the water and wine evaporate. If any part of the breasts comes out of the liquid during the cooking process, that part will be tougher (and more unsightly)  than the rest of the meat. .

ROASTING (for one whole or two pieces, skin on and bone in)

I've found that roasting breasts with skin-on and bone-in  provides better tasting meat and is also less expensive. The skin keeps the breasts moist and the bones provide more flavor. So starting with whole breasts, coat the outside all over with a little olive oil and sprinkle the breats with salt and pepper and  whatever herb you're using, in my case, finely chopped thyme. Roast the breasts on a baking sheet in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes. (You can check doneness by just cutting into a piece to be sure it's no longer pink.) Allow the chicken to cool until you can handle it and then pull off the skin and cut the meat from the bones.