Chicken Salad Sandwich with Rhubarb-Raspberry Preserves
Nearly 10 years ago now, my husband and I flew out to South Carolina for a week to be a part of our dear friend Ksenija’s wedding. While there, Ksenija took us to The Gourmet Shop, a quaint little bistro in her (new) home town. It was a lovely place where you could sit down and enjoy a great meal and do a little shopping for tasty, locally made treats in their adjoining shop. That afternoon for lunch, I ordered one of my favorite sandwiches: chicken salad. Much to my delight, I found this was no ordinary chicken salad. All of the elements were perfection, but the best surprise was that it was served with the most delicious and brightly flavored rhubarb-raspberry preserves. What a treat! That sandwich forever set the bar for me and I haven't been able to have a chicken salad sandwich since then without remembering that perfect lunch.
Much to my delight, I found this was no ordinary chicken salad.
If you are shaking your head in protest at the seemingly unusual flavor combination, I implore you to try it before turning a nose. I recently made this sandwich for my husband and he said it was the best he's had, in or out of a restaurant (I assure you he wasn't just saying that for my benefit. He is honest in his praise and critique. Ha.).
Way back when at The Gourmet Shop, I purchased two jars of that heavenly rhubarb-raspberry jam on the spot, only to be negligent and place it in my carry on luggage for the flight home. I was a bit distraught that TSA confiscated it, as I had already made my plans to recreate that delicious meal as soon as I landed.
Fast forward 10 years later and my husband recently took a business trip to Columbia, SC where our friend Ksenija and her family still live. Much to my delight, after a visit with them he returned home with not one, but two jars of the raspberry-rhubarb preserves I love so much from The Gourmet Shop. A sweet gift from my thoughtful friend who had remembered that I never got the pleasure of bringing it home so long ago. The first thing I did of course, was dig into this sandwich. I am thrilled to report it tasted just as good as I remembered it and I am so happy to be able to share it with you today.
If you do not live near The Gourmet Shop, here is a Raspberry-Rhubarb preserve that should do the trick.
And if you are not a rhubarb fan don’t you fear, I have recreated this recipe a few times over the years and in a pinch used plain raspberry jam. I am here to tell you it is equally delightful!
Chicken Salad Sandwich with Rhubarb-Raspberry Preserves
Serves 4
Ingredients
| 4 cups | chicken, cooked, shredded (I love using a rotisserie chicken because the are easy, juicy and full of flavor) |
| 1/2 cup | mayonnaise |
| 1 tbsp | dijon mustard |
| 1/2 tsp | salt |
| 1/4 tsp | freshly cracked pepper |
| 1 cup | celery, small dice |
| 1/2 cup | pecans, roughly chopped |
| 1 tbsp | lemon zest |
| 2 tbsp | flat leaf parsley, stems removed, roughly chopped |
| 1 tbsp | lemon juice |
| 2 cups | baby arugula |
| 8-12 slices | whole wheat, honey, oatmeal bread (feel free to use any type of bread or croissant) |
| 8-12 tbs | rhubarb-raspberry preserves (if you can't find this in your local store, you can simply use plain raspberry jam) |
Method
In a medium sized bowl, mix together the chicken, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, celery, pecans, lemon zest, parsley and the lemon juice. Stir with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
Divide the mixture between 4-6 slices of bread depending on how may sandwiches you are assembling and how big your bread is. Top each of the piles of chicken salad with 2 tbsp preserves and then with a handful of arugula. Place the remaining 4-6 slices of bread on top of each sandwich.
