Quick Thai Poached Chicken Salad

, from Issue #44. October, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Quick Thai Poached Chicken Salad

Letting the cooked chicken cool in the poaching liquid ensures moist tender meat that’s full of flavour in this easy put-together salad. It’s also delicious served with vermicelli noodles.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

700 grams skinless and boneless chicken breast
1 cup coconut cream
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
stalks from small bunch of coriander

Salad
1 telegraph cucumber
2 carrots, peeled
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
½ cup coriander leaves
½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

METHOD

Cut each chicken breast lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices.

Put all the remaining ingredients in a sauté pan and add the chicken. Gently bring to a bare simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes or until cooked, turning the chicken halfway through.

Remove the chicken to a plate and strain the poaching liquid into a large bowl. Shred or thinly slice the chicken and return to the sauce then leave to cool. Refrigerate if making ahead.

Salad: Use a vegetable peeler to shave long strips off the cucumber and carrots, working your way around the cucumber and discarding the centre with the seeds.

Put the cucumber, carrot, spring onions and most of the chilli, coriander and peanuts in a large bowl. Strain the chicken, reserving the poaching liquids and add to the salad. Toss together and place on a platter. Scatter with the remaining chilli, coriander and peanuts and serve the reserved sauce in a jug for drizzling over the salad.