Recipe

August 18, 2016

Pacific Rim Chicken Salad

Recipe: Eric Vellend

This salad is a good way to use up leftover chicken or turkey — you’ll need 4 cups of cooked, shredded meat. The tender heart of lemongrass comes from the bottom 4″ with the tough outer layers discarded.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 stalks lemon grass, chopped
  • 3 1⁄4″-thick slices ginger
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 star anise
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Dressing

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup lime juice
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp Sriracha sauce

Salad

  • 1 tbsp jasmine rice
  • 1 1⁄2 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass, tender heart only
  • 1 fresh long red chili, seeded, thinly sliced
  • 1⁄4 cup thinly sliced shallot
  • 1⁄2 cup mint leaves, lightly packed
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves, lightly packed
  • 1 to 2 romaine hearts, leaves separated, washed, dried
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

  1. To cook chicken, place all ingredients except chicken in a large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes. Add chicken. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to baking tray to cool. (Strain and freeze cooking liquid for another use.) Pull meat into thick shreds. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. To make dressing, whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl until sugar
    is dissolved. Cover. Refrigerate.
  3. Place rice in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until lightly golden, 10 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool. When cool, grind to coarse powder in spice grinder. (It will only take a few pulses.)
  4. To make salad, combine chicken, lemongrass, chili, shallot, herbs and dressing in a bowl. Mix well. Mound on a serving platter. Sprinkle with rice powder. Serve with romaine leaves and lime wedges.
Photographer:

Donna Griffith

Source:

House & Home June 2013

Stylist:

Ashley Denton (food), Joel Bray (prop)

Tags: chicken salad Recipe Salad

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