Cucumber and Shrimp Salad

Name: Cucumber and Shrimp Salad
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes); 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 tablespoons water; 1 or 2 Thai or serrano chiles, finely chopped (optional); 2 to 2 1/4 pounds pickling (Kirby) or English cucumbers; 1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded (page 51); 2 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, about 1/4 pound; 1 boneless pork loin chop, about 1/4 pound; 1/4 pound precooked bay or small salad shrimp; 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (page 332) and crushed in a mortar

December 14, 2011

This is probably the most commonly served salad in the Vietnamese repertoire. Festive looking and tasty, goi dua chuot often makes an appearance at our family celebrations. In fact, my mother made it for the one hundred guests at my wedding reception. Vietnamese delis pack this popular salad for their customers with the dressing on the side. But those versions are often prepared with cucumbers that have thick, waxed skins. I recommend pickling or English cucumbers, as their skins are thin and not waxed and their flavors are superior. Small, briny bay shrimp are easily distributed throughout the salad, to accent every bite, while the chicken and pork lend richness. For an extra note of authenticity, serve the salad with Fried Shrimp Chips (page 37) or Toasted Sesame Rice Crackers (page 320) for scooping up bitefuls.

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