Cathy's Chicken Salad

8-Chicken breast halves - on the bone
3-celery stalks or equal trimmings - leaves & all
1-carrot cut in big chunks
1-onion quartered
1 t. seasoned powdered meat tenderizer
Water to cover all of the above

2 1/2 cups chopped celerey*
1 cup toasted sliced almonds
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t red curry powder**
1/2 t. black pepper
salt to taste
good mayonaise (Hellman's Dukes or Kraft)

Place chicken breasts, celery stalks, carrot & onion in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Cover with water and add meat tenderizer. Bring to a boil and simmer for 90minutes. let cool in broth for 1/2 hour. Take chicken breasts out of cooking broth and let cool on a cookie sheet. When cool enough to handle remove all bones & skin and chop into 1/2 inch dice.

While chicken is cooling toast almonds in a 350 degree oven in one layer for 7-8 minutes until they are golden. Watch them carefully as they will burn in a heartbeat. Place them on paper towels to cool.

To assemble: make layers of 1/3 of chicken, 1/3 of celery and 1/3 or almonds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a bit of the curry, add a hefty cooking spoon of mayonnaise and sprinkle a little lemon juice on the mayo. Keep layering until all ingredients are used. Mix thoroughly. You may need to add more mayo. You want it to be moist but not sloppy with mayo. Add salt to taste if needed. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to give flavors some time to mingle.

*The celery ratio should be 1 cup celery for every 3 cups chicken. I never measure just eyeball it. The amount above should be ok.

**Use Red Curry powder only. If you can't get Red Curry just leave it out. Yellow curry tastes like acid. Spice Islands makes the red and if you keep it in the fridge it will last for several years and is worth the investment. Walmart has started carrying little packets of some spices and once in a a while they will have Red Curry.

Serves 10 generously!

--Cathy Johnson