Vietnamese-style grilled five spice chicken thigh salad
With a garlicky marinade and mango chunks for enhanced tropical flavour, this chicken salad is perfect for a spicy summertime supper
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
150
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
30
MINUTES
Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 large shallot, roughly choppedÂ
1 tbsp minced fresh root gingerÂ
2 tsp sugarÂ
4 tbsp dark soy sauceÂ
4 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)Â
½ tsp Chinese five-spice powderÂ
8 boneless chicken thighsÂ
For the salad:
½ head iceberg lettuce, core removed and shreddedÂ
1 firm ripe mango, peeled, stone removed and cut into julienneÂ
4 spring onions, thinly slicedÂ
50g roasted cashew nuts, roughly choppedÂ
good handful fresh coriander leavesÂ
For the dressing:
4 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp finely minced ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
salt
freshly ground black pepperÂ
Method
To make the marinade, place the garlic in a mini food processor or blender with the shallot, ginger and sugar, then blend to form a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in the soy sauce, Thai fish sauce, five-spice powder and several grinds of pepper.
Arrange the chicken thighs in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade, turning until well coated.
Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours is best, turning the chicken thighs several times in the marinade. Bring back to room temperature before cooking and wipe off any excess marinade with kitchen roll.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil to the pan or cook on the BBQ. Then place the chicken thighs in it skin-side down. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy.
When you can see that the chicken thighs are nicely browned and that the flesh is almost but not quite cooked through. Turn them over and cook for another 5-6 minutes until completely cooked through and tender. Remove from the heat and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
Place in a large bowl with the lettuce, mango, spring onions, cashew nuts and coriander.
To make the dressing, place the rapeseed oil in a small bowl with the vinegar. Whisk until blended, then stir in the soy, ginger, garlic and oil. Season to taste.
Use the dressing to lightly dress the salad, tossing gently until evenly combined. Arrange on plates and serve the remaining dressing in a small jug so that your guests can help themselves.
