Chicken Salad Wrap Recipe

Prep and soak

Place sliced okra in a bowl and pour buttermilk over it. Let soak 10–15 minutes. This tenderizes and helps coating adhere.

Mix dry coating

In a shallow bowl combine flour, cornmeal, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine.

Heat oil

Pour vegetable oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch and heat over medium-high until it registers 350°F (175°C) or a cube of bread browns in ~30 seconds.

Coat and fry

Drain okra from buttermilk, toss in the flour/cornmeal mixture to coat thoroughly. Fry in batches for 2–3 minutes per batch, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and season lightly with salt.

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, grated garlic, 2 tbs roasted red pepper purée, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp cayenne (if using). Whisk until smooth and taste; adjust salt or lemon as needed. Refrigerate until assembly.

Prepare chicken and vegetables

If chicken is not already cooked, grill or poach two medium chicken breasts (about 10–12 minutes grilling or 12–15 minutes poaching) and let rest, then shred or dice to yield about 2 cups. If using fresh corn, grill the ears until char marks appear, then cut kernels off the cob to yield ~1 cup. Dice roasted bell peppers into small pieces. Toss chicken, grilled corn, diced roasted peppers, torn or cubed mozzarella, and chopped country ham in a mixing bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper to taste.

Add fried okra

Gently fold about 1 cup of fried okra into the chicken-pepper-corn mixture. Do this just before assembly if you want the okra to remain crispy; if making ahead, reserve the fried okra separately and add when building the wraps.

Warm tortillas: Heat a large skillet over medium and brush each tortilla lightly with a little olive oil. Warm 30–45 seconds per side until pliable and lightly browned in spots.

Spread rouille: Lay a warm tortilla on a flat surface and spread about 1 to 1.5 tbs of the rouille evenly over the center third of the tortilla.

Layer greens and filling: Place a handful (about 1/2 cup) of mixed salad greens over the rouille. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken-corn-pepper-mozzarella-ham mixture over the greens, keeping a 1-inch border at the edges to allow folding.

Fold and roll: Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll tightly to form a wrap. If desired, secure with a toothpick and repeat for remaining tortillas.

Optional crisp finish: For a warm, slightly crisp exterior, brush the assembled wrap lightly with olive oil and grill seam-side down in a skillet over medium heat 1–2 minutes per side until lightly golden.

Season and serve: Slice each wrap in half on the diagonal. Serve immediately with a side of french fries or potato chips as preferred.

French fries: Prepare according to package instructions or fry/oven-roast homemade fries until crisp and golden. Season with salt. Potato chips: Serve store-bought chips at room temperature.