Pinkies up, Tartlets! I’m bringing you all the fancy, afternoon tea vibes with these Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
The entire time I was reading The Finishing Touches, which takes place in London (a.k.a., my favorite city), I could NOT stop craving a proper British tea.
It’s been a few years since I’ve ventured across the pond *cries* so I’ve had to make do with afternoon teas I can find stateside, as well as create some of my own teatime recipes when I’m itching for a fix.
Luckily, there’s a lovely little establishment near me called Charlotte’s Tea Room that serves up a pretty darn good service, complete with endless pots of tea, freshly baked scones, and the requisite tea sandwiches, including my FAVORITE tea sandwich of all time: Curry Chicken Salad.
Whenever I go to Charlotte’s, I tell myself I’m going to order something different. And, every time, I promptly ignore my sense of culinary adventure… and order the Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich.
Because it’s SO freakin’ good!
Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches are my attempt to recreate the magic done by the people at Charlotte’s.
They also seem like the perfect book-inspired recipe for The Finishing Touches. Can’t you just picture these colorful sandwiches piled high on a gleaming silver platter, served to ladies who lunch?
Even if you’re not a fan of Indian cuisine, you’re going to love the taste of this Curry Chicken Salad.
The savory curry powder blends wonderfully with the sweet fig jam and handfuls of plump raisins stirred into the dressing, and the chopped almonds add a satisfying crunch to the salad.
Use shredded rotisserie chicken to make the dish come together really quickly. Because recipes that don’t involve spending a ton of time in the kitchen are the best.
And, use Greek yogurt instead mayo (which I loathe) to mix all the delicious ingredients together. I’m convinced this condiment swap makes these sandwiches ten times healthier than the traditional version, therefore allowing me to eat even more of them.
Nevermind that I pile the filling on a flaky, buttery, mini croissant.
Which you have to do, by the way. You can use plain ol’ bread if you really want to, but I really think the croissant brings out the subtle sweetness of the Curry Chicken Salad.
True story: my husband devoured these Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches for lunch for a week straight — and he avoids all things curry! If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is!
These sandwiches are a great make-ahead meal since the flavors taste better and better the longer they have to meld together. Try to make the chicken salad the night before you serve it.
Just be sure to place a “Do Not Touch” sign on the bowl in the fridge; otherwise, hungry family members may devour it all before you have a chance to serve it!
Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 tsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp fig jam
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 12 mini croissants
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice croissants in half, lengthwise, and set aside.
- Chop the almonds and set aside.
- Chop the cilantro and set aside.
- Juice your lemon and set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, fig jam, and salt in a medium bowl until completely combined.
- Fold the shredded chicken into the dressing until it's completely covered.
- Mix the almonds, raisins, and cilantro into the chicken salad until fully incorporated.
- To serve, generously spread curry chicken salad onto the open half of a croissant, then top with remaining half.
