Leftover Roast Chicken Slaw
Built to use what is already in the fridge, which means the amounts here are a starting point rather than a rule.
This exists because a roast chicken leaves an awkward amount of meat — too much to throw out and not enough to be dinner.
Shredded by hand, not chopped. The rough edges hold dressing in a way that clean cuts do not, and that is the whole reason it tastes better than the sum of it.
Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 2 cups | cooked chicken, shredded by hand |
| 3 cups | cabbage, sliced as thin as you can manage |
| 1 | carrot, coarsely grated |
| 3 tbsp | mayonnaise |
| 2 tbsp | plain yoghurt |
| 1 tbsp | cider vinegar |
| 1 tsp | wholegrain mustard |
| — | salt and pepper |
Method
- Shred the chicken with your hands. Skin included if it stayed crisp, discarded if it went soft.
- Slice the cabbage as thinly as your knife and patience allow. Thickness here decides everything.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, yoghurt, vinegar and mustard together with a good amount of pepper.
- Mix the cabbage and carrot with the dressing first, on their own, and leave five minutes to soften.
- Fold the chicken through last so it does not shred further.
- Taste for salt. Roast chicken is usually already salted and often needs none.
Notes
- Red cabbage looks better and bleeds into the dressing within an hour. White cabbage keeps looking like food.
- It is best about twenty minutes after making, once the cabbage has given a little and before it gives up.
- Poached or shop-bought chicken works and tastes plainer. Roast meat brings its own seasoning.
Questions
How long does it keep?
A day. After that the cabbage is limp and the dressing is thin, and it is still edible.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Drop the yoghurt and use an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise plus a splash of water. Same result.
What if I only have a little chicken?
Then it is a slaw with chicken in it, which is what it usually is anyway.