Vietnamese Spicy Chicken Salad topcook.tomathouse.com
Ingredients:
- 700 g of skinless and boneless chicken breasts
- 7 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 6 tbsp. l. rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup (about 1/2 bunch) shredded cilantro leaves (stems removed and reserved)
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 serrano chili peppers, seeded, stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 crushed cloves of garlic
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp grated wasabi (optional)
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups arugula
- 3 cups chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup shredded fresh Thai basil leaves
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
- 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted salted peanuts
- Goat cheese for garnish
- Crispy Shallots:
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- Peanut oil for frying
Preparation:
- Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover them completely. Add a tablespoon of lime juice, a tablespoon of fish sauce, a tablespoon of rice vinegar, and the reserved cilantro stems. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the chicken sit in the liquid for 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken and let it cool completely. Transfer the chicken breast to an airtight container and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- In a non-reactive bowl, combine the remaining lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, and wasabi (if using). Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- In a large bowl, combine the arugula and cilantro leaves, onion, carrot, mint leaves, and Thai basil leaves. Stir well. Add 1/3 of the lime and chili mixture and stir well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving.
- Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates. Slice the chicken breast thinly across the grain and arrange evenly over the salad. Sprinkle with green onions, peanuts, goat cheese, and crispy shallots. Serve immediately with the remaining chili lime sauce in a separate bowl so you can dress the salad to your liking.
Crispy Shallots: Heat peanut oil to 350°F (182°C). Add the sliced shallots in batches and fry until golden brown and crispy, 1 to 1.5 minutes. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon or skimmer and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Season with salt to taste.
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