Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Chicken Salad with Tarator

Tarator, or skordalia (page 600), is one of the most useful dressings I know, a mayonnaiselike sauce that contains neither egg nor oil. Here it transforms ordinary chicken salad.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 ounces good-quality bread
1 cup milk or stock
1/4 pound walnuts (about 1 cup)
1 small garlic clove, peeled
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pure chile powder, like ancho or New Mexico, or paprika to taste
2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Soak the bread in the milk or stock while you put the walnuts, garlic, and some salt in a food processor and pulse the machine to grind coarsely. Gently squeeze some of the liquid from the bread and add to the processor along with the oil. Process until combined but not pureed. Add as much of the remaining milk or stock as you need to give the mixture a mayonnaiselike consistency.

    Step 2

    By hand, add the chile powder or paprika; bind the chicken with as much of the sauce as is necessary to give it the texture you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then stir in about two thirds of the cilantro. Serve or refrigerate for up to a day; garnish with the remaining cilantro before serving.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
TagsSaladChickenPoultryMainDinnerLunchEasyQuick30 Minutes or LessCookbooks
Read More
Whole Lemon Bars
Using two entire lemons—pith, skin, and all—cranks up the citrus flavor in this classic dessert.
The Only Frittata Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
Like Greek lemon potatoes and gochujang chicken stir-fry.
Caramelized Onion Pasta
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in April
Like fattoush salad and strawberry shortcake roll.
Our Favorite French Onion Soup
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
Chicken Salad With Grapes and Walnuts
This chicken salad nails it—creamy, herby, and endlessly riffable.