Sunday, September 6, 2009

Thai Grilled Chicken Salad



Ingredients:
•2-4 boneless chicken breasts OR 4-8 chicken thighs, cut into thick strips
•a large salad-bowl amount of salad greens, or enough for each person
•1/2 cup fresh basil and/or coriander, lightly chopped
•MARINADE FOR CHICKEN:
•4 Tbsp. fish sauce
•6 cloves garlic, minced
•1 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
•2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice
•1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
•SALAD DRESSING:
•1/4 cup water
•1 Tbsp. finely minced lemongrass, either frozen (available at Asian stores) or fresh (see below)
•1 kaffir lime leaf, cut into thin strips with scissors (discard stems)
•1 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at all Asian/Chinese food stores)
•3 Tbsp. soy sauce
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 Tbsp. brown sugar
•2 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lime juice
•3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander
•1 to 2 tsp.Thai chili sauce (to taste), OR 1 fresh red chili, minced

Preparation:

1.Mix the marinade ingredients together in a cup except for the peppercorns. Slather over chicken, ensuring all parts are equally covered with marinade. Then press coursely-ground peppercorn all over the chicken's surface. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 15 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
2.If Using the Oven: Set oven to BROIL and place chicken on a broiling pan or a foil-lined baking sheet (turn out the sides of the foil to prevent juices from spilling into oven).
3.Place chicken on second-to-highest rung of your oven, allowing it to cook 5 minutes each side, then turning. Continue broiling and turning until cooked (chicken will be lightly charred around the edges). Use the leftover marinade to baste chicken the first time you turn it.
4.If Grilling the Chicken: Place chicken over a hot grill and cook until well done. Use leftover marinade to baste chicken when you turn it the first time.
5.While chicken is cooking, prepare the salad greens and dressing. To make the dressing: place water, lemongrass, and lime leaf strips in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute (this will soften the lemongrass and bring out the flavor of the lime leaf). Remove from heat.
6.Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and mix well.
7.Taste-test the dressing. It should be tangy - a balance of salty, sweet, spicy, and sour. Adjust it to your taste by adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, more lime juice if too salty or sweet, more sugar if too sour, or more chili sauce if not spicy enough for your taste.
8.Toss the salad with the dressing. Portion out the salad among individual plates, and top with strips of the hot chicken. Sprinkle with fresh basil and coriander, and serve immediately while chicken is still warm. ENJOY!

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