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February 2011

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Bread Products

Chicken Wrap Recipe

Curried Chicken Salad Wrap With Cocoa Glazed Bacon

CAPSULE REPORT: What’s better than a chicken wrap? A chicken wrap with bacon and chocolate (well, not exactly chocolate but cocoa-glazed bacon). The recipe was developed by someone who knows his cocoa: John Anderson, co-owner of the fabulous Woodhouse Chocolate store in Napa, California.

RECIPE: Curried Chicken Salad Wraps With Cocoa Glazed Bacon

You can make this recipe as a luncheon wrap or as finger-food-size appetizers, party food or gourmet snacks. Glazed with cocoa powder and brown sugar, the bacon is a special treat: Even people who don’t like bacon like it.

While the original recipe is for appetizer-size lettuce wraps, it’s easy to convert the recipe if you want to make standard-size wraps. Similarly, if you prefer a tortilla wrap, just wrap the tortilla around the other recipe ingredients. This recipe makes 16-20 appetizer-size servings. Ingredients For Glazed Bacon 1-1/2 pounds top-quality thick sliced bacon 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon quality cocoa powder

Neuske’s makes some of the best thick-sliced bacon around. It’s available at fine grocers and online.

Preparation For Glazed Bacon

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line one or two baking sheet with foil.
2. In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine the brown sugar and cocoa powder, breaking up any lumps with a fork. Piece by piece, coat the bacon with this mixture, pressing it on so you have an even coating.
3. Place the bacon slices on the baking sheet so that they are not touching. Bake for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. The bacon will look a little black, but that’s the delicious cocoa coating. The bacon will still be pliable, but it should have some body.
4. Remove the cooked bacon to a platter and blot it lightly with a paper towel. It will be a bit sticky, so don’t blot too vigorously. Let cool.
   
   

Ingredients For Curried Chicken Salad 12 ounces roasted chicken, shredded (you can roast your own or purchase a roasted chicken) 1/2 cup best-quality mayonnaise (we use Ojai Cook Lemonaise) 1/2 cup sour cream 1 clove garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons Madras* curry powder 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced 1/3 cup raisins (about 2 ounces)

You can buy a ready-to-eat roast chicken or roast your own. Photo of rosemary-roasted chicken courtesy McCormick. Get the recipe.

*Curry powder is a mixture of different spices. Every region, manufacturer, household and restaurant in India has its “proprietary blend.” In the area of Madras, the curry blend typically contains allspice, black pepper, bay leaves, chile pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry leaves, fenugreek and turmeric.

Ingredients For Garnish and Finishing 1 or 2 heads Boston/bibb/butter lettuce For the appetizer size, use the middle-size leaves. For individual wrap sandwiches, use the large leaves. Enjoy the remaining leaves in salad. 1 large Granny Smith or other favorite apple, peeled cored and sliced thinly (about 40 slices) 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Butter lettuce and bibb lettuce are variations of Boston lettuce. Photo courtesy IPT.us.com.

Preparation

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic and curry powder and mix until thoroughly combined.
2. Add the chicken, raisins and green onions. Mix to combine evenly.
3. Remove the core from the lettuce, separate the leaves and clean them. Use a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels.
4. For the appetizer size: Select the 16-20 leaves you will want to use—medium-size leaves as close to uniform in size as possible.
   For the luncheon size: Use the largest leaves and modify the remaining directions to fit the larger size.
5. To assemble, place a forkful of curried chicken (about 1/4 cup) on one half of the lettuce leaf. Spread it evenly lengthwise (you are creating a taco-like food).
6. Next place two slices of apple side by side over the filling. Cut the bacon in half to fit the lettuce leaf (don’t cut it for the luncheon size) and place over the apple.
7. Fold the other half of the lettuce leaf over that, sprinkle with some peanuts and serve.

Recipe courtesy Woodhouse Chocolate. All other materials