The Pongo Tarragon Chicken Salad And House Dressing

I was a little squirt when Café Pongo was still around, but being that smell and taste make up your most vivid memories, I’m able hark back to the place pretty darn well. I looked up to Val in that way little girls look up to the cool older girls and remember thinking “one day I want to have a place like this”. It was the local hangout spot in all of our favorite hang out town: ILOVIT.  For those of you who experienced it, you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who didn’t, just trust me. 

 Pongo isn’t there anymore, but thankfully we have Mikee at Tivoli Bread & Baking to keep the familiar taste of baguettes and lemon squares in our systems! 

I’ve made a few things from the cookbook (The lentil purses are delicious! I took too many liberties in altering the recipe though, and couldn’t begin to tell you how I did it.).  Between my mom and I, the book shows LOVING signs of use: pages covered in oil stains and berry finger prints and creases cradling flour and sugar.

 The Pongo Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich was a simple standard at the place that blew my mind. I know how common chicken salad is, but this recipe includes some of my favorite things: PESTO AND DIJON MUSTARD. And with their house dressing? Fuhgetaboutit. Apparently, it was their best-selling sandwich in all the seven years. 

I added red onion and roasted red peppers to it. I’m also not eating bread ( I know, crazy), so I just scooped some on a salad and spooned some of their house dressing on top. 

 INGREDIENTS:

 2 T extra-virgin olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

4-6 small chicken breasts, skinned and boned

3 T pesto

3 T mayonnaise
2 T lemon juice
1 T dijon mustard

2 T minced fresh tarragon

1/3 cup roasted red peppers

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2.       Rub olive oil, salt, and pepper  over the chicken breasts, put them in a baking pan, and for about 25-35 minutes (cut open into the breasts with a knife to check if they’re still pink inside).

3.       Allow chicken to cool in its juices then cut into ½-inch cubes and put in fridge for awhile.

4.       Combine the chicken, pesto, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, and tarragon. Chill until serving!

HOUSE DRESSING: 

( I didn’t add ANY sugar and it was still delicious, but I’m telling you exactly what the recipe called for). 

Mix in food processor or hand mix:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

3 T sugar

2 T dijon mustard

½ tsp soy sauce

½ cup olive oil