In addition to the traditional lime and cachaca drink, the mixologists also muddle jalapeno and cucumber in with the main ingredients. The drink is delicious! The combination of the cool cucumber, the spicy jalapeno, and the tangy lime combine into something wonderful on your tongue. I wanted to capture this same effect in a chicken salad.
Traditionally chicken salad has a dressing base of mayo. Mayo has its own tart/sweet flavor that I really didn't want fighting with the three main flavors that I wanted to highlight, so I substituted in avocado. Besides, avocado fat is way healthier than mayo fat!
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| acacado, lime, cachaca dressing |
The recipe calls for grilled chicken. You can use chicken cooked in any method, my husband just happened to be grilling something else the day before, so I asked him to grill the chicken too. Which ever method you use, make sure that you cook the chicken well ahead of time so that the chicken can be chilled.
We like spicy food, so we leave in the seeds from the jalapenos. If your family likes mild food, substitute in a mild pepper of your choice.
If you can't find Brazilian cachaca in your local liquor store, you can substitute light rum, or just leave it out of the recipe.
Here is the recipe:
Caipirinha Avacado
Lime Jalapeno Chicken Salad
2 avocados
¼ c. cachaca
Zest and juice of 3 limes
2 fresh jalapenos
2 to 3 grilled chicken breasts, approximately 1 lb. total
2 fresh cucumbers
2 fresh tomatoes
Salt to taste
Peel and seed two large avocados. In a large bowl mash the
avocados. Add the cachaca, lime juice, lime zest, and salt to taste. Dice the
grilled chicken into cubes. Chop the jalapenos into small pieces – leave the
seeds in for more heat or remove the seeds for less heat. Add the chicken and
the jalapeno to the avocado cachaca lime dressing. Stir to combine.
Create a bed of chopped cucumber with a ring of tomatoes on
a plate. Top with a scoop of the chicken salad. Add large coarse salt to taste.
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