Curried Chicken Salad With Garam Masala Biscuits

• Recipe by Carrie Dove

Garam masala is an Indian spice mix that can include up to 12 different ingredients, such as cinnamon, clove, cardamom, cumin and fennel. Dove uses the blend to give flaky biscuits a complex flavor and mild heat, then fills the biscuits with a curried chicken salad that contains grapes, pistachios and cilantro.

Ingredients

1. 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
2. 1 onion, coarsely chopped
3. 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4. 1 bay leaf
5. 4 pounds chicken breast halves, on the bone, with skin
6. 1 cup mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
7. 1 tablespoon curry powder
8. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
9. 3 cups red grapes (about 14 ounces), halved
10. 2 celery ribs, preferably from the heart, finely diced
11. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
12. 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, toasted (see Note)
13. Salt and freshly ground pepper
14. Garam Masala Biscuits

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with 3 quarts of water. Add the carrot, onion, peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer over moderate heat until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and refrigerate until cool enough to handle. Reserve the broth for another use.
2. Discard all of the chicken skin. Remove the meat from the bones and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the 1 cup of mayonnaise with the curry powder and lime juice. Stir in the chicken pieces, grapes, celery, cilantro and pistachios and season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken salad with the Garam Masala Biscuits on the side. Alternatively, split the biscuits in half and spread them lightly with mayonnaise. Mound the chicken salad on the bottom halves and close the sandwiches. Serve right away.

Make Ahead

The chicken salad can be refrigerated overnight. Add the grapes and pistachios shortly before serving.

Notes

To toast the pistachios, spread them in a pie plate and bake at 350° for 5 minutes.

For a deeper curry flavor, add a tablespoon or two of curry powder or garam masala to the chicken poaching liquid in Step 1. For a shortcut, skip step 1 altogether and start with a plain rotisserie chicken from the market.