Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Salad

Name: Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Salad
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon salt; 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1/2 pound total; 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; About 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar; 1 small head green cabbage, about 1 pound, quartered through the stem end, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons; 1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded (see below); 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Vietnamese coriander or cilantro leaves; 1 or 2 Thai or serrano chiles, chopped; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; Pinch of salt; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 6 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

December 14, 2011

Unlike the other salads in this chapter, this one uses vinegar in the dressing, rather than lime juice, for its tart edge. Raw cabbage and vinegar are great partners here, just as they are in any coleslaw. Using a mortar to make the dressing is important, as it allows the garlic and chile to bloom. First, pound the garlic and chile. When they have broken up, switch to a circular motion, using the pestle to mash the mixture against the curved walls of the mortar, an action Vietnamese cooks refer to as smearing (quet) food. A richly hued orange-red paste emerges that has a perfume and flavor that cannot be achieved with a machine or hand chopping.

Recipe notes

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