AT THE TABLE WITH JAMES BUCHANAN

Lemon chicken salad

Name: Lemon chicken salad
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 400 g cooked chicken, chilled and diced; 2 celery stalks, finely chopped; 100 g mayonnaise (about ½ cup); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp chopped parsley; ¼ tsp salt; Black pepper; Lettuce leaves to serve

A little celery gives a soft chicken salad the crunch it needs.

Lunch15 min with cooked chickenServes 4

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Lemon chicken salad — a painted table — A painted table · Serving illustration

THE STORY ON YOUR PLATE

Chicken salad for an inauguration

More about James Buchanan →

The fifteenth president held office immediately before the Civil War.

Documented meal / preference

Chicken salad appeared at Buchanan’s 1857 inaugural supper, catered by Charles Gautier. This small home bowl adds lemon and celery to cooked chicken, translating a banquet dish into an easy lunch.

The president & the table

Buchanan’s 1857 inaugural celebration gives us a more solid starting point than a disputed favourite. Caterer Charles Gautier supplied a lavish supper that included oysters, meats, chicken salad and ice cream. Chicken salad was part of a public occasion on a scale few home cooks would want to reproduce.

Behind this story

Accounts of Buchanan’s 1857 inaugural supper and Charles Gautier.

APRON ON. HISTORY CAN WAIT.

Make it at home.

Serves 4

Let’s make it

Whisk mayonnaise, lemon, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Fold in the cooked chicken, celery and parsley. Taste and adjust lemon or seasoning.
Serve on lettuce or in sandwiches. Keep chilled until serving.
If cooking chicken especially for this dish, cook to 74°C / 165°F, cool promptly and allow extra time.

Cooking notes

Metric and US measures are approximate equivalents. For baking, use weights when you can.

Lemon chicken salad

Chicken salad for an inauguration

Make it at home.

What you’ll need

Let’s make it