Chicken Salad With Tarragon Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• about 3 pounds
• 2 carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• with leaves
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• chopped
• 1 medium onion
• quartered
• 1/2 cup fresh tarragon leaves
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar (or more or less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• About 1/2 cup olive oil
• About 1/2 cup safflower oil

Instructions

1. Remove any loose fat from the cavity of the chicken.
2. Place the chicken in a large pot and add the neck, carrots, celery, parsley, onion and a few tarragon leaves.
3. Season with salt and pepper and bring to boil.
4. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
5. Cool.
6. (Freeze the cooking liquid for recipes requiring chicken stock.)
7. Meanwhile, make the mayonnaise.
8. Beat the egg yolks until thick and sticky.
9. Add the vinegar and mustard and mix thoroughly.
10. A few drops at a time, add the olive and safflower oils, until the emulsion has thickened into a mayonnaise.
11. Stir in the remaining tarragon leaves and season with salt and pepper.
12. Skin the chicken and cut the flesh into fairly thick strips.
13. Toss the chicken in the tarragon mayonnaise until everything is thoroughly mixed.
14. Correct seasonings.