Coconut Poached Chilli & Lime Thai Chicken Salad Recipe

This recipe really is the perfect combination of salty, sweet, zingy and fresh! I’ve made it for many people and they all marvel at the flavour explosion they taste with each bite. Poaching chicken is a super-healthy way to prepare your meat and it keeps it nice and moist.

Serves: 4-6

=R1=

Servings

Prep time

Cook time

Recipe

Ingredients

1L chicken stock
1½ cups coconut milk
2 tbsp lime juice
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 long green chilli, sliced in half
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 x 250g chicken breast fillets
Dressing & Salad

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 garlic cloves

3 limes, juiced

2 tbsp fish sauce

½ bunch coriander, washed, leaves & roots roughly chopped

½ medium wombok, washed & finely shredded

2 cups baby spinach, shredded

1 bunch mint, washed & shredded (leave some for garnish)

100g roasted cashews, roughly chopped

3 spring onions, white & green parts, finely sliced

2 long green chillies, deseeded & finely chopped

Store-bought crispy fried shallots, to serve

Method

Place stock, coconut milk, lime juice, lime leaves, chilli and fish sauce in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Add chicken so that it’s covered by the liquid. Return to the boil.

Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 15 mins or until chicken is just cooked through. Remove from heat. Stand chicken in liquid for 5 mins. Remove chicken and shred with two forks or roughly chop.

Meanwhile make the dressing: place the maple syrup, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce and chopped coriander in a small food processor or high-powered blender. Blitz until the mixture is fine and the herbs have liquidised as much as possible. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, maple syrup or lime as needed. Set aside.

Add the shredded chicken, wombok, spinach, mint, roasted cashews, spring onions and green chillies in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Top the salad with a garnish of herbs, nuts, chilli, crispy shallots and spring onions. Serve immediately.

Tip: If you don’t want coconut-flavoured chicken you can use any stock that you prefer.