#chicken-salad

#chicken-salad

Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images Even seven years after his passing, Anthony Bourdain's reputation for living life to the fullest and elevating everyday dishes with unique ingredients lives on in the hearts of professional and home chefs everywhere. Bourdain could enhance anything, from a plate of scrambled eggs to a perfectly cooked steak. Even the humble chicken salad didn't stand a chance at remaining in the land of normality once Bourdain got his hands on it, turning it from an often-overlooked recipe into a showstopper.

A lunch classic with endless opportunity for customization, chicken salad offers the perfect mixture of freshness, color, and a hearty dose of protein. It's a dish that comes in a diverse array of different formats, from creamy sandwich fillers and vibrant, Asian-inspired creations to satisfying pasta salads. Grilled, roasted, or pan-fried, chicken is the ultimate canvas for enhancing with complementary sweet and savory ingredients.

Chicken salad itself has plenty of variations, but if you want to boost the flavor without calorific dressings or add-ins, try marinating the chicken in pickle brine. You may already know that adding pickle juice to chicken salad dressing gives you far more complexity than simply vinegar or lemon juice. But by marinating, you're allowing the zesty brine to permeate the meat. You'll get more flavor in every mouthful, with the added benefit of moister chicken.

This recipe is a very popular one; it's unique and refreshing. I have made these little sandwich treasures for a rehearsal dinner, weddings, birthdays, funerals, and anniversaries. You don't need a special occasion. Chicken salad is great for the hot spring and summer days or any get-together. You can make these in advance. This is a very requested recipe. My recipe is an awesome twist on chicken salad.

The pickle ratio matters: A full cup of chopped dill pickles might seem like a lot, but it creates the perfect pickle-in-every-bite experience.