Pot Luck, Hot Luck: This Thai Style Chicken Salad is Special!

Thai Style Chicken Salad

My significant other often asks me to prepare something on the spur of the moment, such as:  “I forgot to tell you I’ve got a pot luck tomorrow.  Think of something.”  With that she is out the door and the car pulls out of the driveway.  Questions hang in the air like dark puffs of exhaust.

How many people?  Breakfast, lunch, or dinner?  What are you supposed to bring?  Salad?  Main course?  Dessert?

“Ok, honey,” I say to the closed door.

You with me?  Had it happen to you?  In this case, I did you, me, and the unknown pot luckers a big favor.  Thai Style Chicken Salad.  Citrusy.  Redolent with fresh herbs.  Fresh chicken breasts sautéed in chicken broth and sherry.  Oh yeah!

Aside from dicing and slicing and poaching, there’s little to do.  Best part, on my first try an international crowd devoured it.

Ok, on with it…

Thai Style Chicken Salad

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise into two filets

1 Cup chicken broth

¼ Cup Sherry

2 pats butter

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Juice from 1 large lime

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon powdered corriander

Big handful of fresh mint:  Strip off the leaves and chop them finely.  Pitch the stems.

Big handful of  fresh basil:  Same prep as the mint

½ teaspoon sugar

1 shallot, thin sliced and chopped  (If you use an onion, make it a small red one and only use half an onion)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

¼ to 1/3 Cup Mayo to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, salt, chili powder, coriander, mint, basil and sugar.

Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan on medium.  Add the oil, melt the butter, add the chicken fillets and cook until just beginning to brown.  Quickly add the chicken broth and sherry.  Cover and allow to sauté until the chicken is very tender.

Remove from the pan and put the fillets on a cutting board.  Chop or shred the meat.  I did a little of both.  Add the chicken to the bowl of herb mixture.  Stir and allow the chicken mixture to cool completely.  NOTE: Adding the mayo to a hot dish will make the oil

separate. You don’t want that!

Prior to adding the mayo

When the chicken mixture is well cooled, stir in the mayo a spoonful at a time.  Have a delicate touch. The mayo is only a thin binder and you don’t want it to overpower the dish.  Too little is better than too much.

Taste the dish and add more herbs, spices and lime juice as necessary.  It should taste citrusy, with the fresh herbs leading the charge.

Yes, you can serve this the day of, but far better to prepare it the day before, cover with plastic wrap and allow the flavors to meld overnight.

The finished product

Now let me prepare you for the reaction of your guests.  Deadly silence at first, shortly followed by smiles and several bursting into song.

The only bad part is, your significant other is going to insist you make it again for the next party.  Oh, the trials of a cook!

Please Be Lentil

I’m a warm weather guy.  Always have been and now that spring's here, I’m all about backyard picnics with friends, for some sitting, sipping, chatting.  Those are the good parts, but we all know preparation for entertaining guests can be a wild beast if you let it.

Here’s a recipe for keeping things simple, so you can help yourself to a cool one, relax, and still impress your guests.

Number one:  Do it yourself bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwiches.  That’s the basics.  Want to fancy it up?  Try some different breads and spice up the mayo with a couple of dollops of pesto.  Put it out and let them busy themselves making a sandwich exactly as they like it.  Add a plate of spiced olives to the picnic table.

Number two:  For something different, whip together a very easy lentil salad. Make it ahead and serve it at room temp.

Lentil Salad

2 Cups (1 pound or 500 g) of green-gray lentils.

1 Carrot, peeled and chopped

1 Medium onion, diced

11 Tablespoons of olive oil

6 Tablespoons of vinegars (I used a mix of pomegranate and seasoned rice vinegars)

2 Heaping Tablespoons of Dijon style mustard

2 Heaping Tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs from your garden (I used thyme and marjoram)

1 Big, meaty handful of fresh spinach

Shavings of cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the first three ingredients in a pot, cover with water and bring them to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.  If you need more water, add it.

Drain the cooked mixture and set it aside.

While the lentils cook, make a simple vinaigrette:

8 Tablespoons olive oil, 5 Tablespoons of mixed vinegars, the Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk everything together and when the lentils are barely warm, mix in the vinaigrette and fresh herbs.  Set the bowl aside for the flavors to meld.

Before serving, whisk together the remaining oil and vinegar, and pour it over the fresh spinach.  Blend in the spinach with the lentils and put the cheese shavings over the top.  Presto!  Easy and everything is done and waiting before the guests arrive.

I’m not only a warm weather guy, but also a lazy guy.  Join me. Take a seat.  More bubbly?  Sure, why the hell not?