Chicken Salad Supreme

This is my favorite chicken salad recipe. I used to make it for wedding showers and serve it with croissants. Serving with cantaloupe slices is also great. If not serving with cantaloupe, you will only use 1 cantaloupe.

4 cantaloupe                                                            ¼ c scallions or green onions

5 c chopped chicken (I use mixed)                         1 t grated lemon rind

1 t salt                                                                      ½ c fresh lemon juice

1 c seedless grapes                                                  ½ c mayonnaise (real)

apx. 12 oz. roasted slivered almonds

Remove skin and fat from chicken; boil the chicken just until done in water with onion, celery, carrot and peppercorns (I also use a bay leaf or two). Drain chicken, saving some water if keeping overnight.  Take off bone and cut into cubes. (If keeping overnight, sprinkle with the 1t salt and cover with water so it doesn’t dry out.)         

Halve, peel and dice 1 cantaloupe to make 1-1/2 c diced melon. Set other melons aside. Place diced chicken in large bowl; add cantaloupe, seedless grapes cut in half, roasted almonds (pre-roasted in 350 oven until browned and fragrant), sliced scallions and finely-grated lemon rind. Drizzle with lemon juice. Mix gently and fold in chilled mayonnaise. Serve with sliced cantaloupe.