Subscriber exclusive — Fried chicken salad fixation

If you've been reading regularly, by now you have probably noticed my tendency to become fixated on items at certain restaurants. If I find someone who prepares one of my favorite dishes exactly the way I like it, it is all I want to eat from that establishment. I have heard amazing things about so many other options on their menu, but this week, Jackson Deli's Fried Chicken Salad at 437 W. Main St. in Jackson is my obsession.

The fried chicken salad at Jackson Deli.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

I was on a time crunch and told a friend at work about my plans to pick up lunch from Jackson Deli. She mentioned she was glad to see they recently re-opened because she has always enjoyed their food. I thought you might like hearing her feedback, so I offered to call in and pick up her order along with mine. It was a great plan, until she ordered the Fried Chicken Salad. I quickly decided I would have to take one for the team, delay satisfying my craving, and order something different in the name of research. I ordered the San Antone. Now, before you start feeling sorry for me, I love all things "Texas" and already had plans to try the San Antone at some point; the time just came a little sooner than expected.

I returned to the office anxious to tear into my lunch. The first thing out of the bag was the sandwich. It was securely wrapped in red and white paper and I could feel the warmth and smell the wonderful aroma as I placed it on the table. I will revisit the sandwich in just a moment. I then pulled the fried chicken salad container from the bag and grudgingly handed it over to my friend. I watched as she opened the container. I salivated as I remembered the chunks of crispy fried chicken layered with bits of bacon, hard-boiled egg, shredded cheddar cheese, tomato, onion and lettuce all mixed with a generous serving of ranch dressing. Sounds simple, huh? It really should be simple, but there are so many places that just get it wrong.

The San Antone sandwich.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

The important thing about the fried chicken salad is finding the perfect balance of ingredients. It must be economical for the restaurant yet delicious and filling for the customer. There must be enough chicken to last through the entire salad. I have ordered salads from other restaurants with such a skimpy serving of fried chicken I felt like it would have been easier to excavate dinosaur fossils in the desert. Jackson Deli's Fried Chicken salad gets it right -- they have the perfect ratio of all ingredients.

Now that I am done gushing about the salad, let me tell you a little about my sandwich. The San Antone earned its name because of the original recipe "San Antone" sauce it is slathered in. I was told it was a mayonnaise-based sauce made with a mixture of top secret spices. Okay, maybe they didn't use the term "top secret" but this isn't "Kitchen Confidential." If you want to know what is in the sauce, you will have to ask for yourselves. The sandwich was comprised of a mixture of large pieces of diced chicken, bacon, and cheese mixed in the San Antone sauce and served between toasted sandwich bread. I wanted to make sure I got the full flavor of their special sauce and asked for a bit extra on the side, which they happily obliged. It was a good sandwich and I ended up using the San Antone dipping sauce with each bite. My only regret is not ordering an appetizer. Corn nuggets, fried mushrooms, fried pickle spears and potato skins all sounded like tasty options but I didn't want to go into a food coma in the middle of a work day. I see another trip to Jackson Deli in my future, and sooner rather than later.

Jackson Deli opens with a full breakfast menu at 5:30 a.m. Lunch offerings include burgers, deli sandwiches, soup/chili and daily specials until closing time at 2 pm.