Poached chicken, shiitake and mango salad
A salad that's filling enough to be enjoyed as a main course. The Thai-style sweet, salty and spicy dressing is flavored with palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, lemongrass, shallots, chilies and cilantro.
Servings 2 people
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 stalks lemongrass white portion only
- 2 to 3 Thai chilies
- 1 shallot
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced cilantro stems and leaves
Salad
- 2 cups chicken bone broth well seasoned
- 1 chicken leg quarter fillet skin on
- 2 slices ginger
- 2 cloves garlic lightly pounded
- 6 shiitake (caps only) thinly sliced
- 1 ripe mango
- Thai basil as much as you like
- mint (I used spearmint) as much as you like
- cilantro (leaves only) as much as you like
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Peel the outer layers of the lemongrass stalks until only the soft interior is left. Slice into thin rings.
- Cut the chilies into thin rings as well.
- Peel the shallot and thinly slice.
- Measure the palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce into a bowl.
- Whisk until the palm sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the lemongrass, chilies, shallot and cilantro, and whisk lightly.
Cook the chicken and shiitake
- In a small pan, heat the broth with the ginger and garlic until boiling.
- Slide in the chicken fillet, turn the heat to the lowest setting and poach for about ten minutes.
- Add the shiitake slices and continue poaching for another two minutes.
- Scoop out the chicken and mushrooms, plunge into a bowl of icy water and leave to cool. Pat dry with paper towels.
Assemble the salad
- Cut the mango, scoop out the flesh and thinly slice.
- Place the mango slices, shiitake and herbs in a mixing bowl and toss.
- Cut the chicken into slices and add to the mango and herbs.
- Pour in the dressing and toss well.
