Mr. Hawthorne Makes Most Excellent Smoked Chicken Salad.

I'd bought a whole chicken the other day, cut into pieces, for 99 cents a pound. I used half the chicken for a tamarind chicken dish and Mr. Hawthorne is hickory smoking the other half in our new favorite kitchen gadget - our stove top smoker.

Smoke with the skins on. We have 1 breast, 1 leg, 1 thigh, 1 wing, and a back with basically no meat on it.

A smoked chicken leg is a thing of beauty.

Mr. Hawthorne minced 2 stalks of celery, about 1/2 cup, and chopped and toasted an equal amount of almonds.

Mr. Hawthorne removed every piece of chicken from the bone ...

... and added it to the celery and nuts.

Next he put in two heaping tablespoons of sweet relish.

He's starting out easy on the mayo. One heaping tablespoon.

Mix well and taste test.

Needs another heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise.

And a kiss of Old Bay.

Mix well. S & P to taste.

I had to try some immediately

On a Ritz.

Goooooood cracker.

Exxxxxxxxcellent chicken salad. Well done, Mr. Hawthorne