Ingredients
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery rib
fine sea salt
1 whole chicken breast, boned, rinsed, and patted dry
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
one 7-ounce slice boiled ham, julienned into strips 1 inch long and 1/8 inch wide
one 7-ounce slice Gruyére, julienned into strips 1 inch long and 1/8 inch wide
1 cup fresh corn kernels
½ cup mayonnaise
1 romaine lettuce heart, sliced into ¼-inch-wide strips
freshly ground black pepper
Bibb lettuce leaves, rinsed and spun dry, for garnish
Preparation
Place the onion, carrot, and celery in a pot. Cover with cold water and lightly salt the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for about ½ hour, then add the chicken breast and cook for about 25 minutes or until a sharp, thin-bladed knife inserted to the center reveals no red and only a hint of pink, if any. Use tongs to remove the breast from the stock and let it cool. (Strain and reserve the broth for another use.) When the breast is cold, dice it into ½-inch squares.
In a mixing bowl, dissolve ½ teaspoon salt in the lemon juice. Stirring with a whisk, add the olive oil in a thin stream.
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, ham, Gruyére, corn kernels, mayonnaise, and lemon vinaigrette. At the end, stir in the romaine lettuce, mixing continuously. Taste and season with black pepper and additional salt if necessary.
Arrange the Bibb lettuce leaves all around the serving bowl and place the chicken salad in it. Serve, if you like, with toasted bread.
VINO Enjoy this cold lunchtime salad with a dry, well-chilled sparkling Prosecco from the Veneto region.
