Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

• 1 ¾ lb (750 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3)
• 180 g good full-fat mayonnaise (about ¾ cup)
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced (about 100 g)
• 3 tbsp finely minced red or sweet white onion
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus ½ tsp granulated sugar
• ¾ tsp fine salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, plus 1 tsp salt, a bay leaf and 6 peppercorns for the pot
• optional: 150 g seedless grapes, halved, or 50 g toasted pecans, chopped

Method

1. Poach gently. Chicken in a single layer in a saucepan, covered by 3 cm of cold water with 1 tsp salt, the bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring just to the barest simmer over medium heat — the surface should only shiver, never bubble — then poach 10 minutes on the lowest heat.
2. Rest in the broth. Off the heat, lid on, 15–20 minutes. The chicken finishes cooking as the liquid cools (165°F (74°C) in the thickest part) and stays remarkably juicy. Lift out and pat dry.
3. Dice, don't shred. When cool enough to handle, cut into neat 1 cm cubes with a knife. Hand-diced, not shredded, is the proper deli texture. Cool fully.
4. Make the dressing. In a large bowl, stir the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, ¾ tsp salt and the pepper until smooth.
5. Fold. Add the chicken, celery and onion — plus grapes or pecans, if using — and fold gently until coated. Don't mash it.
6. Chill and season. At least 1 hour if you can. Taste once cold and season again boldly — chilling mutes salt and lemon. Serve on lettuce, in sandwiches or with crackers.