Add a bit of bubbly

Dear SOS: Pentimento restaurant at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art serves a delicious salad that I thoroughly enjoyed and would love to serve to my birthday group. It was a warm chicken salad.

Pauline Tracy

Whittier

Dear Pauline: Chef Bryan Kiepler at Pentimento shared this recipe, a savory combination of herb chicken, baked apples, candied walnuts, greens and cheese. Open a bottle of Champagne, use a couple of tablespoons to whisk into the vinaigrette and then toast your birthday buddies.

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Champagne vinaigrette

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

2 tablespoons Champagne

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup grape seed oil

1. Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, mustard, shallot, Champagne, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the grape seed oil.

Salad

4 skinless and boneless (8-ounce) chicken breasts

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 Fuji apples

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups walnuts, halved

1 head Boston lettuce

1 head radicchio

Champagne vinaigrette

1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1. Clean the chicken breasts and remove the excess fat. Combine the tarragon, parsley, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. Heat a medium oven-proof skillet on medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and sear on both sides until golden brown. Place the skillet in a 350-degree oven and bake until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and cool. Cut into half-inch cubes.

3. Put the whole apples in a baking dish. In a bowl, mix together the honey, spices and walnuts. Spoon the coated nuts onto a cookie sheet. Bake the apples and the nuts for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

4. Remove the apples and nuts from the oven. Place the walnuts in a bowl. Cool the apples, then peel, core and thinly slice them the short way.

5. Divide the lettuce and radicchio among four plates.

6. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add the chicken, apples, walnuts, and half of the vinaigrette. Heat through. Spoon over arranged lettuces and top each with cheese. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Each serving: 1,071 calories; 65 grams protein; 41 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 74 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 160 mg. cholesterol; 638 mg. sodium.