How to make the famous chicken salad Ina Garten sold “Mountains of” at the Barefoot Contessa

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ina Garten is one of those people we trust to know how a single ingredient can elevate an entire dish. With a culinary track record like no other, Garten is the queen of opening your eyes to possibilities in the kitchen, which is why her Mustard Chicken Salad recipe caught our attention.

Sure, it’s called mustard chicken salad, but we noticed something else as she prepared this dish. In a video recently shared on the Food Network’s YouTube channel, Garten demonstrates the recipe she made “mountains” of at her deli, Barefoot Contessa. As she prepared the dressing, we saw mayonnaise and two types of mustard (Dijon and whole grain), but it was the other dressing ingredient –dry white wine– that really stood out.

Related: The Best Way to Cut a Bagel, According to Ina Garten

Why you should use white wine to make chicken salad

Ina isn’t a fan of the “sticky mayonnaise texture” that some chicken salads have, so she likes to thin out the dressing with white wine. Garten says the wine adds flavor to the dressing and makes it seem “more like a cream sauce than a mayonnaise sauce.” Chicken broth and vinegar would also work well in this scenario if you don’t have white wine on hand.

White wine and chicken are a classic combination and if you use some white wine in the dressing for the chicken salad, you’ll also have some on hand to serve with the dish when you’re finished.

In addition to the wine tip, Garten also recommends cooks prepare their chicken salad while the chicken is still warm, as “warm chicken absorbs the sauce.” Speaking of sauce, Garten recommends adding a small amount and then adding more as needed. You should have enough sauce to moisten the chicken, but not so much that the chicken drowns in the sauce. “You can always add more, so I always add less in the beginning,” she says.

Related: 25 classic Ina Garten recipes that you can make again and again

How to prepare Ina Garten’s chicken salad

If you want to make your chicken salad just like Ina, follow these steps. On a baking sheet, drizzle some bone-in chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. Remember that it will continue to cook if it’s on the counter. Once cool, remove the meat from the bones, remove the skin, and cut the chicken into large, bite-sized pieces.

Blanch 2 cups broccoli florets in boiling salted water until crisp and tender, about 1 minute. Drain and place florets in a bowl of ice water until cool. While broccoli is cooling, whisk together mayonnaise, white wine, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. In another large bowl, toss broccoli florets with 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes. Add diced chicken and then pour in sauce until chicken is well moistened. Mix well and then season to taste. Garten felt something was missing, so she added some freshly chopped tarragon. Refrigerate for a few hours and then serve at room temperature.

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