sweet hot chicken salad

I made this with the leftovers from last nights roasted chicken, although i have been known to smoke a whole chicken and use it for this salad. This is one of my favorite inventions ever. It differs from other chicken salads in that it used sour cream and no mayonnaise, and the mustard is unique. the egg and mushrooms give it and earthy and hearty feel, and the veggies balance the creaminess with a crunch. it is sweet, smooth and slightly spicy.

You can use any sweet hot mustard, but i use one i can only buy at events like the state fair, home and garden shows, etc. its a sweet hot garlic mustard from the Garlic Gourmet. this mustard tends to be more sweet than hot, so if you are using store bought, adjust for smaller quantities if its a very hot mustard. you can also make your own by adding honey and horseradish to your favorite mustard. (or use a spicy mustard and forget the horseradish)

You also can adjust which vegetables you want, anything you have in the fridge that makes sense.



1/2 roasted or smoked chicken
2 boiled eggs
4 button mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper
1 stalk celery
1/2 cup sour cream (plus more as needed)
2-3 Tbsp Garlic Gourmet sweet hot mustard (add more to taste)
pinch salt
1/2 tsp pepper

bone and skin the chicken. Cut into very very small pieces or shred and chop. place in a bowl. chop the vegetables all into a very small dice. add chopped egg, salt and pepper. mix well. add sour cream and mustard. mix until well incorporated. add more sour cream or mustard until it is the right flavor and consistency. serve alone or as a sandwich.

HOW TO SMOKE A CHICKEN....

on the BBQ add hardwood charcoal like cowboy charcoal to each side, leaving the middle empty. this is called indirect heat. soak some hickory chips in water for 1 hour. take 2 sheets of aluminum foil and make small bowls. add a handful of chips to each. when the coals are hot, place the bowls directly on top of the coals. season this chicken with salt and pepper. place in the middle, where there are no direct coals. leave for 1 hour, covered, adding more charcoal or chips after 1 hour if needed. cooke for 30-45 more minutes, or until the leg comes free of the rest of the bird with little effort.