Cold Chicken Salad Toast Cups Recipe

Method15 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Use a dressed chicken (1 medium) with head, feet, tail and innards removed, retaining the neck. Keep it refrigerated without washing or salt-rubbing the raw bird. On a separate clean surface wash the vegetables, peel and dice the turnip (1 medium) and carrots (2–3), and wash the whole potatoes (8 medium). Reserve the prepared vegetables separately from the raw chicken.

   Uses 1 medium whole chicken · 1 medium turnip · 2–3 carrots · 8 medium potatoes · Water, as needed for produce cleaning

2. 2

   Step 2: Wash and drain the spring onion (1–2 stalks), chop it into small garnish pieces and refrigerate it until serving. Discard the cleaning water.

   Uses 1–2 stalks spring onion · Water, as needed to wash spring onion

3. 3

   Step 3: Steam the chicken over steady steam, checking after about 20 minutes and continuing until the thickest breast and inner thigh reach 74°C/165°F away from bone. Maintain the steamer water without boiling dry. Let the cooked chicken cool only until safe to handle, remove bones and shred the edible meat into bite-size strips. Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking, or 1 hour above 32°C/90°F, and keep cold until the salad is mixed.

   First check steamed chicken · 20 minUses The whole prepared chicken from step 1, with vegetables kept separate · Water, as needed for external steaming

4. 4

   Step 4: Separately boil the potatoes in enough water to cover them for about 15–20 minutes, checking from 15 minutes and continuing until a skewer passes through easily. Drain, cool until safe to handle, peel and dice them. Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers so they are cool before mixing into the cold salad.

   Boil potatoes until tender · 15 minUses All eight washed potatoes from step 1, with other prepared stocks separate · Water, enough to cover potatoes for boiling

5. 5

   Step 5: Put the eggs (6) in a separate saucepan with water two inches above them and the egg-boiling salt (1 pinch) pinch. Boil gently for about 15 minutes until the whites and yolks are fully firm. Drain, cool in fresh water, peel and dice them, then keep them refrigerated until mixing.

   Hard-boil eggs · 15 minUses 6 eggs · Water for boiling and fresh cooling, as needed · 1 pinch egg-boiling salt

6. 6

   Step 6: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Trim the brown crusts from the white-bread slices (10–12). Press each slice gently into a cupcake mould without compacting it heavily.

   Uses 10–12 white-bread slices

7. 7

   Step 7: Trim off corners that protrude over the mould edge, leaving the base and sides lined with bread. Repeat until each of the 10–12 slices makes one cup.

   Uses All shaped bread slices from step 6, with trimmed crusts separate

8. 8

   Step 8: Bake the bread cups at 160°C for about 10 minutes until golden. If their bases are still soft, remove them from the moulds, invert them and bake for another 2–3 minutes until crisp. Cool completely before filling; keep them dry in an airtight container if prepared ahead.

   Bake toast cups · 10 minUses All unbaked bread cups from step 7, with trimmed corners discarded

9. 9

   Step 9: Measure the ready cooked bacon bits (4 tbsp) and reserve them according to their package storage directions for the topping.

   Uses 4 tbsp ready cooked bacon bits

10. 10

    Step 10: Put the prepared turnip, carrots and fully cooled diced potatoes into a large salad bowl.

    Uses All peeled diced turnip and carrots from step 1, with potato and chicken stocks already used · All edible diced potatoes from step 4, with skins and boiling water discarded

11. 11

    Step 11: Add all the ¾ tsp salad salt and mix well.

    Uses All mixed turnip, carrot and potato from step 10 · ¾ tsp salad salt

12. 12

    Step 12: Add the 5–6 tbsp mayonnaise and mix it evenly through the vegetables.

    Uses All salted diced vegetables from step 11 · 5–6 tbsp mayonnaise

13. 13

    Step 13: Gently fold in the cold diced eggs and fully cooked chilled chicken, without crushing the eggs.

    Uses All dressed vegetables from step 12 · All edible cold diced eggs from step 5, with shells and water discarded · All edible shredded chicken from step 3, with bones and steaming water separate

14. 14

    Step 14: Cover and refrigerate the complete salad for 4–5 hours, checking from 4 hours and keeping it cold until serving.

    Chill chicken salad · 240 minUses All mixed chicken salad from step 13

15. 15

    Step 15: Just before serving, spoon as much chilled salad as each bread cup holds without overflowing. Sprinkle with the ready bacon bits and spring onion. Share the 10–12 filled cups between eight snack portions, keeping any extra salad refrigerated for separate use.

    Uses Cold salad drawn as needed from step 14; any unused salad remains refrigerated · All cooled crisp cups from step 8 · The ready bacon bits measured in step 9 · All edible chopped spring onion from step 2, with cleaning water discarded