Anthony Bourdain's 1-Ingredient Upgrade for the Best Chicken Salad

I won’t make it any other way. Celery salt is Anthony Bourdain’s secret ingredient that transforms basic chicken salad. The celery salt and crunchy celery bring brightness and cut through the richness of mayo. As a nutrition major in the early 2000s, watching Food Network was my favorite way to unwind. Anthony Bourdain’s first show,A Cook’s Tour, felt edgy, raw, and unscripted compared to the home-cooking shows I favored, and his adventurous spirit and reverence for global cuisine sucked me in. Bourdain earned legendary status as an opinionated and well-traveled chef, but he also had a knack for upgrading classic recipes. Take, for example, his approach to chicken salad. The standout ingredient in his recipe is celery salt. I followed his recipe exactly, including celery salt alongside the usual cast of mayonnaise, celery, and a bit of finely diced onion. The result was a flavorful, zippy chicken salad that far surpassed my previous attempts. How Does Celery Salt Improve Chicken Salad? If you need a refresher, celery salt is a blend of salt and crushed celery seeds. You don’t see it in many recipes—though it sometimes shows up inseasoning blendsandbloody Marys—but I’m now convinced we all should be using more celery salt. Somehow, Bourdain’s trick makes chicken salad taste, well, even more chicken salad-y. How could that be? I have a few theories. First, there’s the salt factor. Most everything tastes more vibrant when properly seasoned. Then, there’s the celery. Most chicken salad recipes include some chopped celery, which adds necessary crunch and a fresh, herbal flavor. The celery salt makes the celery really pop and adds a layer of brightness and zest that cuts through the heaviness of the mayonnaise. Related Stories Anthony Bourdain’s Other Chicken Salad Tricks Bourdain includes a couple other kitchen staples that make for a

I won’t make it any other way.