Number Two: Chinatown Chicken Salad

And so we move swiftly on to my second recipe!

Having eaten so much yummy food yesterday, and my parents having done the same at their friend's 50th, none of us wanted anything too heavy for dinner, so this seemed the perfect solution!

This recipe is also from Kitchen, and is actually written as a way of using up the leftovers after making Nigella's mother's praised chicken, however I think it's yummy enough to eat in its own right!

The recipe makes enough for 6 - and these are the quantities that I will post on here - but I actually halved these since there were only 3 of us. I also tried - and failed - to find any wonton wrappers, and so used spring roll wrappers instead and broke them up in to pieces. This is what I got:

You know what they say - necessity is the mother of invention! When it came to assembling the salad, I did it slightly differently that what is called for in the recipe, and I'm putting my way on here. Enjoy!

Ingredients

50g wonton wrappers (or spring roll wrappers if you're me, broken up into 4 or 5 pieces each)
vegetable oil for frying
For the dressing
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped (Don't worry if you don't like hot and spicy food; neither do I but this is fine!)2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
4 tsp lime juice or rice vinegar (I used lime juice)
3 tbsp soy sauce
splash of sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar

For the salad
50g salted peanuts (I kept them whole but you can also chop them up if your angry and need to break something)
500g/1 head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
150g beansprouts
4 spring onions, cut into thirds and julienned (i.e. cut into thin strips)
1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips
300g shredded cooked chicken
fresh chopped coriander to serve

Method

1. Heat 1cm oil in a frying pan, and fry the wrappers in batches when it's really hot. They won't need long, just a few seconds on each side. When they're ready, drain on kitchen paper.

It looks like I'm frying a plastic bag here but I'm not, tasty though that might be.

2. When the wrappers are all cooked, mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jug. Here are the ingredients, all lined up for their moment in the sun.


Notice how I am nearly out of sesame oil. No worries, it's on the shopping list


Just a quick whisk (or mix with a fork if the whisk is in the wash) and.....

TADAAAHH!

Oooh *shiny*

 3. In a large bowl, mix the lettuce, beansprouts, spring onions and red pepper.

Then arrange into serving bowls or onto plates.

4. Divide the chicken between the bowls/plates and top with peanuts and coriander.

5. Drizzle the dressing over and serve!

Yummy yummy!

My mum doesn't say much about my cooking but my dad was very complementary! It's a really nice salad because it's not boring like salads often are - it tastes nice and fresh and the wrappers add some crispiness :) And it's SO EASY TO MAKE! So give it a go!

Ok, signing off now. Not sure when recipe number 3 will be, but probably tuesday night. My mother is out which means SEAFOOD! (She is allergic you see so whenever she isn't here my dad and I take the opportunity to eat our fave frutti di mare). So expect prawns or squid to appear on here soon.

Keep reading!!
xxx