Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°c-350°f. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 2

Place all of the Vietnamese dressing ingredients into a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a simmer to melt the sugar, remove from the heat & allow to cool down for 15 minutes before placing it in the fridge to cool completely. (Make sure the dressing is cold before pouring it over the salad)

Step 3

Roughly chop the peanuts, place them onto the prepared baking tray & roast for 6-7 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove & allow to cool down.

Step 4

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil & add in the chicken breasts. Bring back to a boil then reduce the heat to medium & simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat & allow the chicken to rest in the water for 6 minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature of 73°c-163°f). Remove & allow to slightly cool down.

Step 5

In the meantime place the julienned carrot into a mixing bowl. Add in the rice wine vinegar, salt & sugar then mix well to coat the carrot. Add in the thinly sliced white or red onion along with the bean sprouts (mung beans) & let sit for 10 minutes to slightly pickle. Drain from the pickling brine & discard the liquid (or keep it & reuse).

Step 6

Thinly slice the poached chicken into strips & tear it into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken & all of the other ingredients into a mixing bowl except the peanuts & fried shallots. Mix to combine well & serve into bowls or plates. Garnish with peanuts and fried shallots. Dig in.