Chicken salad with sugar snap peas, Vietnamese coriander and shallots
serves 6-8 ingredients
For the salad
● 1.5kg whole corn-fed, free-range, organic chicken ● 10 radishes, thinly sliced ● 400g sugar snap peas, thinly sliced lengthways
● 10 Vietnamese coriander sprigs, leaves picked (or Thai basil, mint or coriander), roughly snipped ● Small handful of coriander, roughly chopped
● A handful of pistachios, roughly chopped
● Seeds of ½ pomegranate (optional)
For the dressing ● 5 tbsp crushed pistachios ● 3 bird’s-eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
● 1 garlic clove, finely chopped ● 3 tbsp maple syrup
● 5 tbsp lime juice
● 5 tbsp fish sauce
For the shallot pickle
● 4 round shallots, sliced as thinly as possible
● 3 tbsp cider vinegar
● 1 tbsp caster sugar
● A pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
● Prawn crackers
1. Add the chicken to a very large saucepan containing 3 litres of salted, boiling water.
2. Reduce to a simmer, cover and poach the chicken for 60-80 minutes (depending on the size of your bird). The juices ought to run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh and the chicken should be cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, reserve some pistachios to garnish then mix together all the remaining ingredients in a screw-topped jar and shake well.
4. Taste for a balance of sweet and sour, salty and spiciness and adjust as necessary.
5. To make the pickle, mix the shallots with the cider vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside for about 20 minutes.
6. Make the salad by mixing the radishes and sugar snap peas in a large bowl.
7. Add the Vietnamese coriander sprigs.
8. Once the chicken is cooked, leave it to cool.
9. Now, tear off the meat along the grain and season with pepper. Add this to the salad bowl along with the pickled shallots and its juices.
10. When ready to serve, toss the salad together with the dressing. Garnish with the coriander, pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
11. Serve with the prawn crackers.