Rice Noodle Salad with Chicken

By BobD

Ingredients

• 4 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced, dark greens reserved
• 3 lemongrass stalks, smashed with the flat side of a knife
• 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup Asian fish sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 pound pad thai rice noodles
• 1 small jicama (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
• 1/4 pound mung bean sprouts
• Peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Details

Servings 8
Cooking time 30mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a soup pot, combine the dark scallion greens with the lemongrass, 2 tablespoons of the ginger and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce. Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer over low heat just until cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken. Strain the liquid into a heatproof bowl and let cool. Shred the chicken, add it to the liquid and refrigerate overnight.

In a small bowl, combine the chiles, garlic, sugar, mirin and vinegar with the remaining 2 tablespoons of ginger and 6 tablespoons of fish sauce. Refrigerate overnight.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and cool under running water. Cut into 6-inch lengths and pat dry, shaking the colander occasionally. Transfer the noodles to a bowl along with the jicama, bean sprouts, sliced scallions and the dressing. Drain the chicken and add it to the salad. Serve with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges.