Thai Chicken Salad

This is the Top Recipe of 1986 for the San Francisco Chronicle. This attractive salad from Bruce Cost has a wonderful interplay of bright, balanced flavors.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  whole roasting chicken, cut into large pieces
• 1⁄2 cucumber
• 3  red chilies or 3  green chilies, seeded, cut into matchstick shreds
• 1⁄4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1⁄4 tablespoons fresh ginger, cut into fine matchstick shreds
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3  tablespoons fish sauce
• 5  teaspoons sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 2  tablespoons  peanut oil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  sa-te  oil (or to taste) or 1⁄2 teaspoon  chinese  chili oil (or to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
•  roasted unsalted peanuts (to garnish)

Directions

1. Put the chicken into a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and skim the surface. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let the chicken sit in the hot water for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool. (At this point, the chicken may be refrigerated overnight; reserve the stock for another purpose.).
2. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. With your hands, pull the meat apart into shreds about 1/4-inch wide and 1 1/2 inches long; put them in a bowl.
3. Peel and seed the cucumber and cut it into matchstick shreds. Put these in a bowl with the chiles, onion, ginger and garlic and toss with the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, salt and the oils and let sit for 30 minutes. Add these seasonings to the chicken and mix thoroughly. Stir in the cilantro leaves, garnish with peanuts and serve.