Poached chicken "à la menthe"

I had a lovely bowl of freshly made mayonnaise sitting in my fridge.

But let me go back a few steps. On the week end temperatures rose to above 30°C. If you ask me, it was my daughter who brought the beautiful sunshine with her smile on Friday evening. The minute I saw her again after almost a week it was summer in my heart. Most people in Milan would however probably disagree, blaming winds from Africa or something of the sort.

Whatever the reason, in this heat all you feel like eating are cool, refreshing platters of salad and fruit washed down with large glasses of ice cold beer.  

Back to my husband's emulsion of olive oil and egg yolks. Now that I had the mayo I could make a recipe I saw a few days ago on Manu's Menu and just couldn't get out of my mind. I am glad I didn't. It is so delicate and refreshing and so light despite the mayonnaise, that we have decided this will become a staple summer dish. It is great to make for a summer lunch with friends, a picnic or a pool party because it should be made a day in advance. But please remember, especially if you are making you own mayonnaise, to keep it in the fridge or in a cool place until just before serving.

If you have leftovers, no question. This will make a killer chicken salad sandwich.

Ingredients (for 4)

To poach chicken

a large chicken breast

lemon

pepper corns

salt

a few mint leaves

For the sauce

1 1/2-2 cups mayonnaise

a large bunch of mint leaves

olive oil

lemon

salt

To poach your chicken breast, place it in a pot and cover it with water. Add in a slice or two of lemon, a few mint leaves, some pepper corns and some salt. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the stove, cover the pot and let the chicken sit in the hot water for another 15 minutes approximately. Take the chicken out and let cool completely before cutting into bit size chunks. While it is cooling wash the mint leaves an put them in a food processore with a drizzle of olive oil, a little lemon juice and some salt. Process until the leaves are finely chopped and mix in the mayonnaise. Taste for salt, pepper and acidity. Mix in the chicken pieces and store overnight in a sealed container.