Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken breasts, raw
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 black peppercorns, whole
Walnut Skordalia Dressing
- 75 g walnut halves, toasted
- 2 garlic cloves
- 30 g stale white bread, crusts removed
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml red wine vinegar
- 30 ml water
- 3 g salt
Assembly
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 100 g red seedless grapes, halved
- 15 g fresh dill, chopped
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 608 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 47 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 451 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Cholesterol
- 96 mg
- Potassium
- 581 mg
- Calcium
- 71 mg
- Iron
- 2.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 77 mg
- Phosphorus
- 352 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 57 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 24 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 15.6 mg
- Folate
- 48 mcg
- Water
- 174 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place chicken breasts, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2-3 cm. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to a very low simmer, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F.
Remove chicken from the liquid and let it rest until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, soak the stale bread in a small bowl of water for 5 minutes until soft, then squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.
To make the dressing base, combine walnuts, garlic, squeezed bread, vinegar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground and pasty.
With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil to create a thick emulsion. Thin with 30ml of water (or more if needed) until the mixture reaches a mayonnaise-like consistency.
Dice or shred the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, celery, halved grapes, and chopped dill.
Fold the walnut dressing into the chicken mixture until evenly coated. Taste and adjust with extra lemon juice or salt if desired. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Chef's Notes
- Skordalia is traditionally a dip, but by thinning it slightly, it acts as a perfect high-protein binder for salad.
- For the best texture, use day-old artisanal bread rather than soft sandwich bread for the thickener.
- This salad makes an excellent filling for pita pockets or served atop grilled sourdough tartines.
- Toasting the walnuts before blending adds a deeper, nuttier profile that stands up well to the garlic.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Garlic flavor will intensify over time.
Troubleshooting
Dressing is split or oily
Cause: Oil was added too quickly
Fix: Transfer mixture to a bowl. Add a teaspoon of cold water to the empty processor, turn it on, and slowly feed the split mixture back in.
Prevention: Stream oil very slowly while the processor is running
Garlic flavor is too harsh
Cause: Raw garlic potency or germ left in
Fix: Add more walnuts or a splash of cream/yogurt to dilute (note: this adds dairy)
Prevention: Remove the green germ from the center of the clove; blanch cloves in boiling water for 1 minute before blending
Cultural Context
Skordalia is a classic Greek condiment (meze) traditionally served with fried fish or boiled vegetables. This recipe adapts the walnut-heavy version often found in Northern Greece to create a rich, dairy-free alternative to mayonnaise-heavy American chicken salads.
