Green Papaya Salad

Name: Green Papaya Salad
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes); 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 1 small clove garlic, finely minced; 1 or 2 Thai or serrano chiles, finely chopped (optional); 1 green papaya, about 2 pounds; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 boneless pork loin chop, about 1/4 pound; 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Vietnamese coriander or cilantro leaves

December 14, 2011

In the Vietnamese Kitchen, papaya is more than just a sweet fruit. The mild, firm flesh of an unripened green papaya is treated like a vegetable. Green papaya may be pickled, added to soup, or featured in salads like this one. Here, crunchy, light jade papaya shreds are flecked with chopped herbs and bits of shrimp and pork and tossed with a dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, and garlic. Look for green papayas at Vietnamese or Thai markets, Chinese markets with a Southeast Asian clientele, or Latin grocery stores. A bit of yellowing on the skin is fine, but make sure the flesh is neither soft nor mushy. Whole fruits will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

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