This salad is so much lighter and fresher-tasting than mayonnaise-based versions. It gets crispy sweetness from sugar snaps and peppers and nuttiness from tahini. Keep in mind that tahini can turn rancid rather quickly (even in unopened cans, in our experience). We recommend buying it from a place with a high turnover, such as a Middle Eastern market or a natural foods store.
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr
• Chicken salad (without sugar snaps and sesame seeds) can be made 1 day ahead. Add sugar snaps and sesame seeds just before serving and thin dressing with warm water as needed. • Sugar snaps can be blanched 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag lined with dampened paper towels.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Step 2
Rub chicken with oil in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast chicken until just cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.
Step 3
While chicken roasts, blend tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and remaining teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth.
Step 4
Blanch sugar snaps in a 2-quart saucepan of 1 minute, then drain in a colander. Rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and drain well.
Step 5
When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and discard. Remove meat from bones in large pieces, discarding bones, then pull meat into 1/3-inch-wide strips and transfer to a large bowl. Add sugar snaps, bell pepper, and dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
