Add a spicy touch to your chicken salad with a spiced ingredient
Hearty, rich, and versatile, a generous serving of chicken salad is a poultry classic that has satisfied food lovers since the 19th century. Whether you make it with a whole roasted chicken or use leftover roast chicken, chicken salad has a familiar and enduring flavor that you can't help but think about.
Horseradish is a fibrous yet juicy condiment made from grated horseradish root, vinegar, and salt. Naturally, horseradish root has a strong, wasabi-like flavor, but when ground and combined with the acidity of vinegar, it develops a milder, though still potent and spicy, taste. Adding it to a chicken salad gives the rich, one-dimensional flavor of mayonnaise a spicy depth and adds an exciting new dimension to the umami flavor of the chicken, while complementing the fresh vegetables with its earthy yet spicy notes.
Because of its intense flavor, a little horseradish goes a long way in chicken salad. One or two teaspoons should make a noticeable difference to the dish, and you can save the leftovers to make a homemade cocktail sauce or a Bloody Mary for a hangover.
Additional ingredients for chicken salad with horseradish
Horseradish alone is flavorful enough to transform an ordinary chicken salad into one with bold character and intense taste. However, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, there are other ingredients you can add to the salad to enhance and complement the horseradish's bold flavor.
A tablespoon of capers can add a touch of saltiness to a chicken salad, softening the intensity of the horseradish without completely overpowering it. Spring onions can enhance the horseradish flavor while adding a crunchy, flavorful onion note to the dish's creaminess. Similarly, since horseradish is related to mustard, a touch of Dijon mustard can enhance its flavor without altering the texture provided by the spring onions. The intense flavor of horseradish might not pair well with common fruits in chicken salads, such as blueberries or apples. However, a sprinkle of brown sugar is a chicken salad's secret weapon, softening the horseradish's spiciness with delicate hints of toasted sweetness.
The next time you're craving a chicken salad, dare to try something different. Once you try one with a touch of horseradish, you won't want any other.