Turkish Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Garlic Yogurt

Name: Turkish Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Garlic Yogurt
Prep time: 26 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 54 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 large breasts, trimmed of fat; halve horizontally if thicker than 1½ inches (4 cm); 6 cups (1400 ml) water, cold; 1 tbsp (15 g) kosher salt; 2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves; 1 tsp (3 g) whole black peppercorns; 2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife, skins removed; 1¼ cups (300 g) plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt, at cool room temperature, stirred smooth; 2 medium cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, finely grated to a paste; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon, divided (1 tbsp for the yogurt, 1 tbsp for the salad); 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt; 1 cup (100 g) raw walnut halves, toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped; reserve 2 tbsp for garnish; 1 large (about 10 oz) (300 g) English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice; ⅓ cup (15 g) fresh dill, fronds and tender stems finely chopped; reserve 1 tbsp for garnish; ¼ tsp (1½ g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tsp (5 g) sweet paprika; ½ tsp (1 g) Aleppo pepper (pul biber) or crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender poached chicken is shredded and folded into a cool, garlicky yogurt dressing with toasted walnuts, crisp cucumber and plenty of fresh dill. A drizzle of warm paprika oil finishes it. Serve it as a meze, in wraps or as a light main.

Prep: 26 min
Cook: 28 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 1 hr 34 min
Makes: About 5 cups (4 main-course servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For poaching the chicken
1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 large breasts, trimmed of fat; halve horizontally if thicker than 1½ inches (4 cm)
6 cups (1400 ml) water, cold
1 tbsp (15 g) kosher salt
2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves
1 tsp (3 g) whole black peppercorns
2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife, skins removed
For the garlic yogurt
1¼ cups (300 g) plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt, at cool room temperature, stirred smooth
2 medium cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, finely grated to a paste
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon, divided (1 tbsp for the yogurt, 1 tbsp for the salad)
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
For the salad
1 cup (100 g) raw walnut halves, toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped; reserve 2 tbsp for garnish
1 large (about 10 oz) (300 g) English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice
⅓ cup (15 g) fresh dill, fronds and tender stems finely chopped; reserve 1 tbsp for garnish
¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the paprika oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp (5 g) sweet paprika
½ tsp (1 g) Aleppo pepper (pul biber) or crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Equipment (7)

Large lidded saucepan or Dutch oven (4-quart / 3.8 L)
Small skillet (8-inch / 20 cm) for the walnuts and paprika oil
Instant-read thermometer
Large mixing bowl (3-quart / 3 L)
Fine rasp-style grater (such as a Microplane)
Cutting board and chef's knife
Tongs and two forks

Steps

Before you start

Take the yogurt out of the fridge 15 minutes before mixing so it blends smoothly. Use full-fat or 2% Greek-style yogurt, because thin yogurt makes a watery salad.
If the chicken breasts are thicker than 1½ inches (4 cm) at the thickest point, slice them in half horizontally so they poach evenly.
Plan for about 1½ hours in total. About 40 minutes of that is cooling and chilling, and you can do the walnuts, yogurt and vegetables while you wait.
Grate the garlic on a fine rasp-style grater. Chunks of raw garlic will taste harsh in the finished salad.

1
Toast the walnuts
- Put the walnut halves in a dry 8-inch (20 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Stir or shake the pan often for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate and let them cool while you continue.
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Ready when: Walnuts smell nutty and toasty and have darkened slightly, with no burnt spots.
Tip: Walnuts go from toasted to bitter quickly. Move them to a plate as soon as they smell nutty, because the hot pan will keep cooking them.
2
Bring poaching liquid up
- In a 4-quart (3.8 L) saucepan, combine the water, 1 tablespoon salt, bay leaves, peppercorns and smashed garlic.
- Bring to a full boil over high heat, which takes about 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break the surface constantly.
3
Poach the chicken
- Lower the chicken breasts into the boiling water with tongs.
- When the water stops boiling, reduce the heat to low so only a few bubbles rise, then cover.
- Poach for 12 minutes.
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Ready when: The surface of the chicken turns opaque white and the liquid is barely trembling, not bubbling.
Tip: Don't let the water boil hard after the chicken goes in. Hard boiling makes chicken breast tough and stringy.
4
Rest in the liquidOven 165°F / 75°C
- Turn off the heat and leave the pan covered for 10 minutes.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a breast.
- If it reads below 165°F (74°C), cover and return to low heat for 3 more minutes, then check again.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part and the juices run clear.
5
Mix the garlic yogurt
- While the chicken rests, whisk the yogurt, grated garlic, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl until completely smooth.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if it tastes flat.
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Ready when: The dressing is thick, glossy and spoonable, with no streaks of oil.
Tip: Make the dressing in the large bowl you'll use for the salad to save washing up.
6
Cool and shred chicken
- Lift the chicken onto a cutting board and let it cool for 15 minutes, until you can handle it comfortably.
- Shred it with two forks into bite-size strands about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) long.
- Discard the poaching liquid, or strain and save it as light chicken stock.
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Ready when: Chicken is just warm to the touch and pulls apart easily along the grain.
Tip: Shred while still slightly warm. Fully chilled chicken shreds less cleanly and absorbs less dressing.
7
Prep cucumber and dill
- Halve the cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon, and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice.
- Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel.
- Finely chop the dill, set aside 1 tablespoon for garnish, and coarsely chop the cooled walnuts, setting aside 2 tablespoons for garnish.
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Ready when: Cucumber pieces are uniform and dry on the surface.
Tip: Removing the seeds and patting dry keeps the salad from turning watery as it sits.
8
Make the paprika oil
- Wipe out the small skillet.
- Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat for about 1 minute, until it shimmers.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the paprika and the Aleppo pepper if using, and swirl for 20 seconds.
- Pour into a small bowl.
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Ready when: Oil turns a deep brick red and smells sweet and peppery, not scorched.
Tip: Take the pan off the heat before adding the paprika. Scorched paprika turns bitter in seconds.
9
Fold the salad together
- Add the shredded chicken, cucumber, chopped dill, most of the chopped walnuts, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt to the garlic yogurt.
- Fold gently with a spatula until every piece is coated.
- Season with black pepper and more salt to taste.
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Ready when: Chicken and vegetables are evenly coated in a creamy dressing, with no dry patches of yogurt.
10
Chill to blend flavors
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes so the garlic mellows and the chicken absorbs the dressing.
- Give it a gentle stir before serving.
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Ready when: The salad is cold and the garlic smell is softer.
11
Garnish and serve
- Spoon the salad into a shallow serving dish and make a few swirls in the surface.
- Drizzle with the paprika oil and scatter over the reserved walnuts and dill.
- Serve right away with warm flatbread or pide, or spoon into lettuce cups.
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Tip: Add the walnut and dill garnish just before serving so the nuts stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Grate the garlic to a paste rather than mincing it. It disperses evenly through the yogurt and has less raw bite.
Salting the poaching water seasons the chicken throughout, so don't skip it even though the salad is seasoned later.
Pat the chicken lightly with a paper towel after shredding if it looks wet, so the dressing stays thick.
For a sharper garlic flavor, stir the grated garlic into the lemon juice and let it sit 5 minutes before adding the yogurt, or use only 1 clove for a milder dressing.

Make ahead

"Poach and shred the chicken up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Make the garlic yogurt up to 1 day ahead. Keep the walnuts, cucumber, paprika oil and dill separate, and combine everything within 1 hour of serving for the best texture."

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 1 hour (keep chilled at picnics or buffets). Fridge: store the finished salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The walnuts will soften and the cucumber will release some water, so stir well before serving. Freezer: not recommended because yogurt separates and the cucumber turns mushy. Serve cold, with no reheating.

Substitutions

plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt → Strained labneh thinned with 1 tablespoon water, or sour cream mixed half and half with Greek yogurt. Labneh is thicker and tangier. Thin it until it is spoonable.
boneless, skinless chicken breasts → Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Poach 15 minutes, then rest 10 minutes, until they reach 175°F (80°C) for the best texture. The salad will be richer and a little darker.
raw walnut halves → Toasted blanched almonds or shelled pistachios. Chop to a similar size. The flavor will be sweeter and less bitter.
fresh dill → Fresh mint or flat-leaf parsley, or a mix of the two. Use the same volume. Mint gives a cooler, more traditional meze flavor.