chinese chicken salad with soy-ginger-sesame vinaigrette
The next time you’re contemplating Chinese takeout, try
this big, colorful, crunchy main-dish salad. You can make it with Pan-Grilled
Boneless Chicken Breasts (Chapter 6: Chicken, Fish, and Meat), which you’ll need
to make ahead of time (as much as 3 days in advance) so they can cool. If you’re
in a big hurry, cook the chicken, slice it, spread the slices out on a plate,
and put the plate in the refrigerator while you make the dressing and put the
rest of the salad together. In 15 minutes or so, the chicken should be cool
enough to toss into the salad. Or use leftover roast chicken (made using the
recipe on Chapter 6: Chicken, Fish, and Meat; or store-bought rotisserie
chicken; or even better, roast chicken—or even duck—from a Chinese deli).
The dressing keeps for weeks in a tightly lidded jar in the
refrigerator; shake it well before serving. This recipe calls for seasoned rice
vinegar, which is a commonly available version of rice vinegar that contains a
little salt and sugar. In a pinch, you can substitute plain rice vinegar or even
cider vinegar. If you do, increase the quantity of sugar to 1 tablespoon and the
salt to ¼ teaspoon.
Don’t stress about stemming the cilantro. Just tear off the longer
stems so you have mostly leaves, and you’re good to go.
soy-ginger-sesame
vinaigrette
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon minced garlic (about half a small clove)
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons canola, soy, or peanut oil
salad
1 pound romaine lettuce (a large head or “hearts”)
2 cooked chicken breasts (see Chapter 6: Chicken, Fish,
and Meat), sliced, shredded, or cut into bite-sized chunks; or about 2 cups
shredded or sliced cooked chicken
1½ cups (about 4 ounces) shredded red cabbage
1 cup (about 3 ounces) mung bean sprouts
2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 cup, packed)
2 scallions (white and tender greens parts), cut into very
thin strips about 1-inch long
½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2/3 cup cashews and/or slivered almonds, lightly
toasted
1. To make the dressing, combine
all the ingredients in a smallish bowl and whisk until blended. (Or put all the
ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake it
emphatically.)
2. Separate the romaine leaves,
and then wash them in very cold water and spin them very dry. (If you have
purchased hearts of romaine in a sealed pack, you can skip the washing; just cut
off the stems and separate the leaves.) Tear the leaves into bite-sized
pieces.
3. Combine the romaine, chicken,
cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, scallions, and cilantro in a large bowl, and
toss to mix well. Just before serving, whisk the dressing—or shake it, if it’s
in a jar—to recombine, and add about half. Toss to coat, and give it a taste.
You might want to add the rest of the dressing now, or just let people add their
own at the table. Top with nuts and serve immediately.
GET
CREATIVE
- Toss in some sliced water chestnuts (an 8-ounce can, rinsed and drained).
- If you like a little heat, add a few dashes of Chinese chile oil to the dressing (start slow and taste as you go).
- Whisk a teaspoon of wasabi paste or a pinch of powdered wasabi into the dressing for extra zing.
- Toss in some mandarin orange segments (fresh seedless ones, or the drained contents of an 11-ounce can).
- Sprinkle some chow mein noodles (the crunchy kind that come in a can) over the top.
- Substitute chopped roasted peanuts for some or all of the cashews and/or almonds.
- Sprinkle in 1 to 2 teaspoons white or black sesame seeds as you toss the salad. (They add a terrific little crunch.)
- Toss in a handful of fresh snow peas, cut lengthwise into thin strips.
- Make this vegan by replacing the chicken with strips of firm tofu.
Makes 4 servings
Wilting fresh spinach leaves just slightly is a really
nice alternative to serving them utterly raw. Here, the wilting is done by
dressing the leaves with heated oil, which cooks them slightly upon contact,
tenderizing them perfectly. The oil is spiked with garlic and hazelnuts for
flavor and texture, beautifully balanced by creamy-tangy goat cheese and the
subtle sweetness of golden raisins. As you can see, this is a salad with no
separate dressing, per se. Instead, the dressed salad comes together as you go,
right in the bowl. Once assembled, this salad doesn’t keep well, so aim for
putting it together just before serving. You can peel the garlic and chop the
nuts well ahead of time, making the final preparations very quick.
About ¾ pound baby spinach leaves (two 6-ounce bags),
washed and well dried 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts (also known as
filberts)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 good-sized clove)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (a 5-ounce package)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the spinach leaves in a
large bowl. Break them into bite-sized pieces, if necessary, and remove the
stems (or not, depending on your preference).
2. Pour the olive oil into a
medium-small skillet and place it over low heat. Add the hazelnuts and cook,
stirring intermittently, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden.
Add the garlic during the last minute or so, cooking it slightly but not
“frying” it. (Browning the garlic causes it to taste unpleasantly bitter.)
3. Drizzle this hot mixture
directly over the spinach, scraping in as much of the oil as you can. (You can
also toss some of the spinach back into the hot pan, stirring it around to swab
up any extra oil left behind.) Use tongs to toss the spinach until it is
completely coated with the oil, and the nuts and garlic are well distributed.
Sprinkle with the salt as you toss. Add the raisins and goat cheese, and mix
well.
4. At the very end, sprinkle in
the vinegar and toss until it is thoroughly distributed. Serve immediately,
passing a pepper mill.
GET
CREATIVE
- Use a high-quality olive oil for more flavor.
- Use a good wine vinegar (such as sherry vinegar or Spanish Moscatel vinegar), one that is infused with fruit (such as raspberry vinegar), or cider vinegar.
- Add a thinly sliced medium-sized tart green apple along with the raisins and cheese.
- Slice 2 strips of bacon or pancetta into ¼-inch-wide strips. Brown these in a small skillet over medium-high heat until they are crisp and nicely browned. Drain them on a paper towel and add them to the oil along with the garlic.
- Chop a hard-boiled egg (see Chapter 2: Salads) and sprinkle some over each serving—especially good if you’re adding bacon.
- Top each serving with a still-warm, freshly poached egg—also fabulous with the addition of bacon.
- Slice a small, perfectly ripe avocado and lay slices over each serving as a garnish.
- Use 3 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries instead of, or in addition to, the raisins.
- Substitute pumpkin seeds or coarsely chopped almonds or walnuts—all lightly toasted—for the hazelnuts.
- Make this vegan by omitting the goat cheese.
Aucun commentaire