By August 2025. Mason turns seventeen in September and leaves for the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in three weeks. The preparations are done — the knife rolls packed, the apron pressed, the reading list started, the list of things he wants to cook in my kitchen before he goes dwindling as we work through it.
He asked for a kitchen day — just us two, all day, cooking whatever came to mind. We did it Saturday: croissants in the morning, a long braise at noon, fresh pasta in the afternoon, a simple custard tart to finish. Not a lesson — a working together. The kitchen moving with two people who know it and each other, the way the best kitchen collaborations go. Mason is quieter than Ethan in a kitchen — less narration, more internal processing. He tastes things the way Ethan observes things. Different methods of the same intelligence.
I told him, midway through the pasta, that I was proud of him. He said, "I know." I said, "Say it back." He paused and said, "I'm proud of me too." Which is the right thing to say. Which is the healthiest thing I've heard in a while. I said: good. He said: croissant or custard tart? I said both. He said: right answer.
My son is leaving for culinary school in three weeks. He's ready. So am I. Mostly.
We started that Saturday with croissants — not these, but the made-from-scratch, laminated-dough kind that Mason has been practicing for months. By the time we moved on to pasta and braise, I kept thinking about how a great croissant deserves an equally great filling. Chicken salad croissants are what I come back to when I want something that feels both effortless and celebratory — the kind of thing you’d make after a morning of real cooking, when you want lunch to feel like a reward. It felt right to share this one in his honor: simple, satisfying, and best eaten with someone you love sitting across from you.
Chicken Salad Croissants
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 large croissants, sliced horizontally
- 4 leaves butter lettuce
- 1/2 cup halved red grapes or dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, celery, green onions, and lemon juice. Stir until evenly coated.
- Season. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Fold in grapes or cranberries if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Chill if time allows. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the chicken salad for at least 15 minutes before assembling — though it’s equally good made and served immediately.
- Assemble. Lay a leaf of butter lettuce on the bottom half of each croissant. Spoon a generous portion of chicken salad over the lettuce, then place the top half of the croissant over the filling.
- Serve. Arrange on a plate and serve immediately. Pairs well with a simple green salad or fresh fruit on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 540mg