Parsley Walnut Pesto Chicken Salad

Libations used: 1/4 cup white wine...

Libations left over: Pretty much the whole bottle, so serve with dinner...

I love making chicken salad, and it's one of my go-to's during the week for lunch.  Usually, I cheat and just make it with canned chicken, some celery and chopped nuts.  If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll throw in some pickled red onions, pickled blueberries or curry with raisins.  I knew I had a busy week coming up with plenty of dinners out, which ultimately meant I'd be eating lunch at my desk to save money, so I wanted something somewhat healthy and hearty.  The Kitchn had posted a recipe a while back for a Creamy Chicken Salad with a Parsley Walnut Pesto.  It's a relatively quick dish to make, and yes, I recommend cooking the chicken and not cheating with the canned stuff.  Because why waste good pesto on canned chicken?  The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I picked up some nicer looking free-range chicken breasts that still had all the rib bones and skin on.  The chicken is poached in a white wine braising liquid and takes only about 15-20 minutes.  I bought plenty of fresh, flat-leaf parsley from Maggie's Farms at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market to use for the pesto.  Yes, it's a lot of green on the plate, but I also used Maggie's arugula to serve with the chicken for some extra flavor and texture.  Top it with some pretty cherry tomatoes, chopped walnuts and a little shaved Parmesan, and you have yourself a simple and gourmet, summer meal.  The leftovers will also make a killer sandwich...

Parsley Walnut Pesto Chicken Salad - serves 6-8

Ingredients for the chicken: 

• 2 1/2-3 lbs chicken breasts, with skin removed (about 4-6 breasts)
• 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (I used Flo Chardonnay)
• Handful of flat-leaf parsley (both leaves and stems)
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the pesto:

• 2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley
• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (Umm, I skipped the toasting part and they were all in halves too)
• 1/4 cup and 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 Tbs mayonnaise
• 2 heaping Tbs of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• Fresh-squeezed lemon juice, to taste (I used about a teaspoon)
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

To garnish:

• Toasted, chopped walnuts
• Sliced cherry tomatoes
• Grated Parmesan

To make the chicken:

- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add the chicken, garlic, shallots, wine and parsley.

- Season with salt and pepper and top with enough water to cover the chicken by about an inch.

- Bring the water to a boil.

- Immediately remove from heat and cover.

- Let the chicken stand for about 15-20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160.

- Remove the chicken from the pan and tent it with foil to finish cooking.

- When it's cool enough to handle, slice into bite-sized pieces.

- To make the pesto:

- In a food processor or blender, add the parsley, garlic, walnuts and oil and process until smooth.

- Add the Parmesan and pulse until incorporated.

- Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes and some lemon juice, to taste.

- Season generously with salt and pepper.

- Add the chicken to the bowl and gently toss to combine.  

- Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight so all the flavors have a chance to marry.

- Serve over a bed of arugula and top with chopped walnuts, tomatoes and Parmesan.