Oriental style chicken and orange salad
Gisborne oranges have recently come into the shops. I try and use them in as many recipes as possible while they are in season, they’re just SO tasty and juicy.
The following chicken salad can have varied salad ingredients, but Chinese cabbage makes a nice change from ordinary cabbage. Chilli, coriander and finely sliced Kaffir lime leaves are the highlight ingredients of this salad.
Ingredients for salad:
4 cups Wong Bok (Chinese cabbage)
Finely sliced 2 heads Bok Choy
Finely sliced 1/2 small red onion
Finely sliced 1 carrot, peeled
Julienned 1⁄2 red pepper finely sliced
2 or 3 large New Zealand oranges, peeled, and cut into segments leaving all pith and membrane behind (see instructions and photo below)
2 Kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1 -2 cups baby spinach leaves
Generous handful roughly chopped coriander
1⁄2 cup crisp fried shallots (purchased from an Asian shop or good food store)
Ingredients for dressing:
2 tbsp grape seed oil or Canola oil
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2.5cm piece of peeled fresh ginger, finely grated
1 small chilli, finely chopped
Juice 1 large lime or 2 small limes
Combine all ingredients together whisking well. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Ingredients and method for poached chicken:
400g chicken breast, poached in water that is flavoured with a tablespoon of grated ginger, lemongrass and fish sauce. Poach until just cooked.
Remove breasts and let them cool (do not shred while warm as all the moist juices from the chicken will escape!)
Method:
Prepare the oranges by peeling them with a sharp knife removing all skin and white pith, leaving the orange quite bare. Pick up the orange and carefully cut between each segment, leaving the thin outer membrane behind ...a bit like leaves in a book. Squeeze membranes and add the juice to your dressing.
Shred or slice the chicken thinly across the grain. Put aside in a cool place.
Just before serving place baby spinach leaves on a large serving platter. Combine remaining salad ingredients with the chicken (excluding garnish).
Dress salad and chicken with dressing and toss ingredients together. Place dressed salad on top of the spinach leaves. Lastly garnish with diagonally sliced spring onion, coriander and crisp fried shallots.
Photography by Pippa Marffy