Spicy Thai Minced Chicken Salad With Peanuts and Celery Leaves Recipe

ingredients

vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder or cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce) PLUS"PLUS" means this ingredient in addition to the one on the next line, often with divided uses
2 teaspoons nam pla (fish sauce)
1 small, hot chile, seeded and minced (or more to taste)
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup smashed roasted peanuts
1/4 cup finely minced celery hearts
1/2 cup firmly packed celery leaves
1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves
1/4 cup firmly packed shredded mint leaves
4 leaves green leaf lettuce

directions

Place several inches of oil in a wide pot and heat to 300 degrees F. Mince chicken coarsely. When oil has reached 300 degrees F, lower the chicken, all at once, into the oil. Immediately swirl with a spoon to break up clumps. Cook until chicken just loses its pink; this may be as little as 10 seconds. Pour chicken immediately into a colander, discarding oil (or saving for another use). Let chicken drain for a moment.

Place chicken in a mixing bowl. Add the chili powder and mix well to color chicken evenly. Add the sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, minced chile, ginger and peanuts; toss vigorously to blend. Add celery heart, celery leaves, cilantro and mint, and toss gently (so as to keep the leaves fluffy).

Place the lettuce leaves on individual serving plates and top each leaf with a quarter of the chicken mixture. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: "It's All American Food" by David Rosengarten

nutrition data

Nutritional data has not been calculated yet.