In case you’re curious about the dish where I first used the dressing, it’s the Thai fried egg salad (yum khai dao) in the archive. The dressing is one of five Asian mixed sauces that we keep making over and over, and have learned to combine with ingredients that aren’t traditionally associated with them.
The procedure for mixing the dressing is the same so I’m not going to bother rephrasing anything. I am reproducing the recipe and process word for word from the Thai egg salad recipe.
The dressing is a mixture of palm sugar, fresh lime juice and fish sauce. I understand that sourcing palm sugar can be problematic especially for you who do not live in Asia. Know that you may substitute honey, and the dressing will taste just as good. A bit different in flavor but just as good.
But the herbs and spices — chilies, lemongrass, shallots and cilantro — you want to retain. I urge you not to attempt to make substitutions here.
Now, about the chicken and the mushrooms. I really hate chicken breast meat especially when skinless. I’m partial to chicken thigh fillets or, better yet, chicken leg quarter fillets. Skin on, of course. I poached the chicken in well-seasoned bone broth with a few slices of ginger and a couple of cloves of pounded garlic.
When the chicken was almost done, I dropped in sliced fresh shiitake and together they cooked in the tasty broth until done.
The question that I anticipate: do the chicken and mushrooms have to be poached? Won’t another cooking method do? Grilling the chicken and mushrooms will work too. Frying them will make the salad too oily.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 stalks lemongrass white portion only
- 2 to 3 Thai chilies
- 1 shallot
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced cilantro stems and leaves
Salad
- 2 cups chicken bone broth well seasoned
- 1 chicken leg quarter fillet skin on
- 2 slices ginger
- 2 cloves garlic lightly pounded
- 6 shiitake (caps only) thinly sliced
- 1 ripe mango
- Thai basil as much as you like
- mint (I used spearmint) as much as you like
- cilantro (leaves only) as much as you like
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Peel the outer layers of the lemongrass stalks until only the soft interior is left. Slice into thin rings.
- Cut the chilies into thin rings as well.
- Peel the shallot and thinly slice.
- Measure the palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce into a bowl.
- Whisk until the palm sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the lemongrass, chilies, shallot and cilantro, and whisk lightly.
Cook the chicken and shiitake
- In a small pan, heat the broth with the ginger and garlic until boiling.
- Slide in the chicken fillet, turn the heat to the lowest setting and poach for about ten minutes.
- Add the shiitake slices and continue poaching for another two minutes.
- Scoop out the chicken and mushrooms, plunge into a bowl of icy water and leave to cool. Pat dry with paper towels.
Assemble the salad
- Cut the mango, scoop out the flesh and thinly slice (see notes).
- Place the mango slices, shiitake and herbs in a mixing bowl and toss.
- Cut the chicken into slices and add to the mango and herbs.
- Pour in the dressing and toss well.
