Roast Chicken Salad With Homemade Mayonnaise

Spicy garlic mayonnaise

A variation on Alton Brown's recipe, adjusted for taste and on-hand. Using the food processor is awesome - your arms don't get tired!

2 T rice vinegar

2 T lemon juice

1 whole egg + 1 yolk

1 t table salt

1 t ground mustard seed

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t dark brown sugar

Scant 2 c safflower oil

3 T hot chile oil

Add all wet ingredients (except the oil which is a liquid but isn't "wet") to the work bowl of a food processor along with the salt, mustard and sugar. Pulse 5 times. Turn processor on and add oil in a steady stream until incorporated. Keep at room temperature for 2 hours. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Note: there's a good reason for leaving the freshly-made mayo at room temp for 2 hours. In the unlikely case that the eggs are contaminated with salmonella, the acidity from the vinegar and lemon juice will work to kill the bacteria, but that action will only take place at room temperature. Refrigeration slows down all biological processes including the massacre of the evil beasties.

Roasted chicken salad

both breasts off a roasted chicken, diced

1/2 a small onion, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 small roasted potatoes (optional)

2 hard boiled eggs (optional)

3/4 - 1 c spicy garlic mayo

smoked paprika

Nothing fancy to the preparation; combine all the ingredients and sprinkle with paprika to taste. Other optional ingredients (though probably not so good all together): a bit of diced serrano or anaheim chile with 2 t honey; sliced grape tomatoes; sliced grapes; pitted and minced kalamata olives; 1-2 T [horseradish|honey|dijon] mustard.