Chicken Noodle Salad
This very low fat, quite delicious noodle dish which may need extra limes and a dash of chilli oil to give it that extra authentic ‘zing’ appeal.
4
20 minutes
40 minutes
Stove cooking
Ingredients
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4cm x 4cm piece fresh ginger- thinly sliced
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7 spring onions- 5 thinly sliced & 2 quartered for the simmering pot
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3 long dried red chilli
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1 Star Anise
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2 large whole chicken breasts – no skin (or 4 small chicken breasts)
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2 tsp Szechwan peppercorns- or mix of whole black & pink peppercorns, 1 tsp each
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250g medium rice noodles
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2 tsp Sesame oil
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2 tbsp soy sauce
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2 Lebanese cucumbers- skinned, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
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2 fresh lime- rind and juice
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½ cup fresh coriander- roughly chopped
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Freshly ground black pepper- Salt to taste
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Garnish
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Fresh lime wedges and a dribble of hot chilli oil (red ‘finger’ chillies, chopped and steeped in sesame oil and vinegar)
Instructions
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Cook chicken:
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01 Half fill a medium sized pan with water; add ginger, dried chillies, star anise and 2 spring onions. Bring to the boil and simmer 5 minutes. Now add the whole chicken breasts and simmer gently for a further 15-20 minutes.
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02 Remove the chicken from the pan and when cool enough to handle shred the flesh. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Dry roast spices:
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03 Heat peppercorns and a pinch of salt in a small pan. Dry roast over a medium heat for a few minutes. Remover from the heat and allow to cool. When cool grind to a fine powder.
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Cook noodles:
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04 Cook noodles as per the instructions on the packet. Drain and rinse well under cold water.
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Assemble:
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05 Place noodles in a large bowl and toss with sesame oil and soy sauce.
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06 In a separate bowl toss the chicken and spice mixture, now add the remaining spring onions and thinly sliced cucumbers.
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07 Finally, mix chicken mixture with noodles and fresh lime juice.
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08 Serve with fresh coriander and lime wedges.
Notes
For this recipe I like to use the milder sweeter ‘finger’ red chillies for the chilli oil, but if you are a chilli fanatic do use the small fiery ones but BE CAREFUL!
