The “Poultrygeist” Chicken Salad Sandwich

Myles Moody

Don’t let the whimsical name of the Poultrygeist sandwich undercut the seriousness of the tenets that lie behind its creation. Myles Moody, chef/owner of Kinship Butcher & Sundry, a whole-animal butchery with a creative sandwich menu, is ever vigilant about how inventive recipe ideation can come from and/or lead to reduced waste in the kitchen. “What makes this chicken salad sandwich such a success is that it is a concrete reflection of our ethos,” says Moody. Using locally sourced ingredients and producing as little waste as possible are the twin pillars that drive the business. “The creativity that is born out of the restrictions we place on ourselves is what makes this sandwich so special.”

Moody originally thought to create a smoked chicken salad sandwich. “But most times that I have had smoked chicken, even in a salad, it is almost always overcooked,” he notes. His improved take involves using day-old chicken and gently poaching it with spices and aromatics, before pulling it apart and binding the pieces with a “smoked” mayonnaise, featuring a secret blend of warming spices. It’s finished with a dash of pickle juice and served on a lightly toasted brioche roll with pickles, drunken mustard and organic arugula. “We debuted the Poultrygeist mid-summer last year as our only cold sandwich, hoping it would offer some relief from the late-summer Georgia heat,” says Moody. “Little did we know that our customers would want it year-round! It’s so popular we’ve started retailing the salad alone in our case.”

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