Chicken Salad Croissant Recipe

Prepare the pickling brine: in a small saucepan combine white vinegar, water, granulated sugar, kosher salt, mustard seeds and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 2–3 minutes.

Place the thinly sliced cucumbers or small dill pickles and the dill sprig into a clean jar or heatproof container. Pour the hot brine over the slices, ensuring they are fully submerged.

Let the jar cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (best after 2 hours). Use within 2 weeks. Reserve 2 tablespoons of finely chopped pickles to fold into the chicken salad; the rest can be served on the sandwich.

If you do not have cooked chicken, poach 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts: place in a single layer in a saucepan, add enough water to cover by 1 inch, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook gently until an instant-read thermometer reads 160–165°F (about 12–15 minutes depending on thickness). Remove, cool slightly, and shred or finely chop. Measure 3 cups for the recipe.

In a large mixing bowl combine the Duke's mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and sugar (if using). Whisk until smooth.

Add the shredded chicken, finely diced celery, finely diced red onion, 2 tablespoons of the chopped house-made pickles or relish, and sliced chives to the mayo mixture. Fold gently to coat evenly.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust: add more mayo for creaminess, more lemon for brightness, or a pinch more sugar if it's too tart. Chill the chicken salad in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to let flavors marry.

Prepare the croissants: split each croissant horizontally. Optionally, melt 2 teaspoons unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat and toast the cut sides of each croissant, buttered side down, until golden, about 1–2 minutes.

Season the tomato slices: lay out tomato slices on a plate and sprinkle both sides lightly with the coarse salt and black pepper. This enhances the tomato flavor.

Assemble each sandwich: place a generous handful (about 1 cup) of arugula on the bottom half of each croissant. Top the arugula with 3/4 to 1 cup of chilled chicken salad (adjust for croissant size). Add 2–3 tomato slices on top of the chicken salad. Finish with 1–2 slices of the quick pickles or a teaspoon of reserved relish if desired.

Close the croissant, press gently, slice in half if serving, and serve immediately. Leftover chicken salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.