I hereby coin the culinary-cultural term ‘Upstalgia’ – to denote a dish that is, at the same time, elev-ated, updated, uplifting, AND newstalgized. The first example of this new breed of super-evolved culinary creations is: Feta Chicken Salad!
“What a great idea!” I thought, immediately on seeing the headline teaser for this easy lunch, or even dinner treat. “Imagine the flavour and texture adventures that await!”
Deceptively simple
You have to wonder how such a simple hack can make such a difference in an old favourite… And why most of the world hasn’t heard about it until just recently. I guess it naturally had to wait until chick-en salad migrated to the Italian menu, or Feta cheese became an everyday ingredient in the main-stream Euro-American diet.
Whatever the circumstances. I’m delighted the two concepts came together under the creative wing of food writer, recipe developer Amanda Luchtel.
What it is
The dish calls for a few ingredient swaps and additions compared to the standard chicken salad recipe. But they’re well worth the slight additional cost and effort required.
Luchtel goes into some detail about how she cooks her chicken. But I say your own leftover roast chicken or supermarket rotisserie chicken will work just as well. I’ve never cooked chicken from raw specifically to make chicken salad. I’ve always considered the dish an elegant way to use up leftovers. Mother said so…
The main ingredient swap involves the substitution of Greek Yogurt for mayonnaise. Luchtel says use half mayo and half yogurt. But I say use all-yogurt. The Greek stuff is just as thick and rich as jarred mayo. And I think it tastes better.
The addition of Feta just complements and jacks up the tangy flavour of the yogurt while adding a gentle umami undertone. You’ll note that this chicken salad recipe does not call for a squeeze of lemon. It doesn’t need it!
DO use the herbs called for. Parsley and dill are bosom flavour buddies of Greek Yogurt and Feta.
My take
I love chicken salad. On whole grain bread, even better. Or on a bed of chopped Romaine lettuce. That’s a lovely lunch!
But this new-to-me Feta Chicken Salad is something even more special. Something I’ll reserve for when there’s company in the house. Or maybe my birthday lunch. It’s simply THAT good!
~ Maggie J.