I invented this recipe for mine and Jacki's 30th birthday party which had the theme "Farewell to the Roaring 20's". The first time I made it with Little Gem Lettuces which worked well but since then I have tried it with Chicory leaves, their slightly bitter taste I feel, adds a more sophisticated edge to the dish. These work really well as a cocktail savory, as an entre or in DIY format at a picnic or buffet.
(makes about 40)
For the Waldolf Salad Mixture
* 2 Chicken Breasts (poached and shredded)
* 2 Stalks of Celery (finely diced)
* 1 Granny Smith Apple (finely diced)
* 1 handful of finely diced Walnuts
* 1 handful of Saltanas
* 1 Spring Onion (finely chopped)
* 2 heaped tablespoons of Whole Egg Mayonaise
* 1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice
* Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper (to taste)
* About 4 Chicory Lettuces (I am a perfectionist and divide these up so that on each platter they are all the same size, like any lettuce the outside leaves are bigger, so I have one platter of larger leaves, one of medium leaves and one of small leaves. However if you are just doing a casual format there is no need for such precision)
- Mix Waldolf ingredient till well combined (you can make this 1-2 days before, infact I often think this is better as the juices soak into the saltanas making them extra tasty), then refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cut Chicory Leaves to size
- Place a couple of teaspoons of the Waldolf Salad in each leaf and serve!!
Note: I often cover my platters with something like rocket or lambs leaf lettuce as this provides a good base so that the leaves balance and don't roll around, it also looks very pretty!!
