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Galley-Style Chicken Salad

Look, I've eaten a lot of terrible chicken salad in my life. You know the kind - dry chunks of chicken drowning in mayo that tastes like nothing. But when you're stuck in a galley kitchen trying to meal prep for the week, you need chicken salad that's actually worth eating.


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This is that recipe. It's not fancy, but it works every single time.


Why I Make This All the Time

It's idiot-proof: Seriously, hard to mess up once you get the hang of it

Tastes better the next day: Perfect for galley meal prep when you're out for days

Uses whatever you have: Leftover rotisserie chicken? Perfect. Grilled chicken from last night's dinner? Even better


What You Need

For the Chicken:

  • About 4 cups of cooked chicken (however you want to cook it)

  • I usually just buy a rotisserie chicken and call it a day when I'm on shore


For Everything Else:

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayo (start with less, add more)

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (the good stuff, not yellow mustard)

  • Squeeze of lemon juice

  • 2 celery stalks, chopped up

  • Some red onion, diced small (don't go crazy)

  • Handful of fresh parsley

  • Grapes, cut in half (trust me on this)

  • Chopped pecans or walnuts

  • Salt and pepper



Step 1: Deal with the Chicken

If you're cooking fresh chicken in the galley, just throw it in a pot with some water, salt, and pepper. Simmer until it's cooked through (about 15-20 minutes). Let it cool down, then shred or chop it up.


Or just buy a rotisserie chicken like a normal person when you're provisioning. Life's too short, and galley space is too limited.


Step 2: Chop Your Stuff

Dice up the celery and red onion. Cut the grapes in half. Chop the nuts. Nothing fancy here - just get it all roughly the same size so you don't get a huge chunk of onion in one bite. This is where that systematic approach from working with precision instruments comes in handy.


Step 3: Make the Dressing

Mix the mayo, mustard, and lemon juice in a big bowl. Taste it. Add more of whatever it needs. This is your base, so make sure you like it before you commit.


Step 4: Throw It All Together

Add the chicken to the dressing and mix it up. Then fold in all the other stuff - celery, onion, grapes, nuts, parsley.


Here's the key: Don't dump all the mayo in at once. Start with less and add more until it looks right. You want it creamy but not swimming in mayo. Trust me, I've seen what happens when the galley cook gets heavy-handed with the mayo.


Step 5: Let It Sit

This is the hardest part - you have to wait. Stick it in the galley fridge for at least a couple hours, but overnight is even better. The flavors need time to get to know each other, just like a good crew.


Ways I Actually Eat This

  • Sandwiches: Obviously. Good bread makes all the difference (when you can get it)

  • Wraps: Throw some spinach in there too

  • Just with crackers: When I'm being lazy between shifts

  • Stuffed in an avocado: When I'm pretending to be healthy

  • Straight from the container: Don't judge me - sometimes you eat standing up in the galley


Tips:

Make it in batches: Perfect for feeding a research crew or meal prepping for long stretches at sea

Storage: Keeps well in the galley fridge for 3-4 days, which is perfect for those multi-day trips The grape thing: I know it sounds weird, but that little pop of sweetness is perfect when you're tired of the same old boat food

Fresh herbs: Parsley is classic, but if you can keep fresh dill alive in the galley, it's pretty great too


When It Goes Wrong

Too dry? More mayo or a splash of the chicken cooking liquid

Too wet? Add more chicken or let some of the liquid drain off

Tastes like nothing? More salt, more lemon juice, more mustard - don't be shy

Weird texture? You probably mixed it too much or the chicken was too hot when you mixed it


The secret is really just using good ingredients and not overthinking it. And honestly? Making it the night before is a game-changer, especially in galley cooking where you want to prep as much as possible ahead of time.


I make a big batch every time I'm provisioning for a trip and eat it all week. Sometimes on sandwiches, sometimes just scooped onto crackers while I'm standing in the galley between equipment checks. It's that kind of recipe - reliable, tasty, and doesn't require you to be a chef.



Ben's Gadgets

Knife Magnetic Strip

Keep your knife safely stored and easily accessible during all that chopping. With multiple onions and prep work, you'll appreciate having your knife right at hand.


Misen 8-inch Knife

Perfect for chopping those red onions cleanly and efficiently. A sharp knife makes quick work of the prep and ensures even pieces that cook uniformly.


Automatic Can Opener

With 9+ cans to open (tomatoes, beans, corn, chilies), this automatic opener is a game-changer. It handles the repetitive work while you focus on the cooking.




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