Recipe: Silver Palate's Tarragon Chicken Salad

From The Silver Palate Cookbook

Tarragon Chicken Salad

boneless whole chicken breasts, about 3 lbs
1 cup Creme Fraiche* or heavy cream
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-long pencil strips
1/2 cup shelled walnuts
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a large jelly-roll pan. Spread evenly with heavy cream or creme fraiche and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until done to your taste. Remove from oven and cool.

Shred meat into bite-size pieces and transfer to a bowl.

Whisk sour cream and mayonnaise together in a small bowl and pour over chicken mixture.

Add celery, walnuts, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste and toss well.

Refrigerate, covered, for at least 4 hours. Taste and correct seasoning before serving.
4-6 portions

Creme Fraiche

1 cup heavy cream (not ultra pasteurized)
I cup dairy sour cream

Whisk heavy cream and sour cream together in a bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in the kitchen or other reasonably warm spot overnight, or until thickened. In cold weather this may take as long as 24 hours.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, after which the creme fraiche will be quite thick. The tart flavor will continue to develop as it sits in the refrigerator.
2 cups