Source: Chef Robert Conaway's website, aGreat Chef.com
Servings: 4-6
Entered by: Janice Matthews

When a friend returned from bicycling across Viet Nam, she raved about a dish similar to this one. I went online and found this recipe, which she says is "very close!" This salad is fresh-tasting and, even though it sounds like a lot of ingredients, it's quick and easy to make. We enjoy it. I think you'll like it, too.

Ingredients

  • 2 breasts chicken (medium sized)
  • 1/2 head white or green cabbage
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce (or substitute tamari sauce)
  • 2 T. mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 T. rau ram leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 2 T. lime juice
  • 2 T. sliced and fried shallots
  • 2 T. peanuts, coarsely ground*
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

  1. 1
    Steam the chicken breasts (or just use breasts previously cooked for another meal). Remove the skin, and shred the meat into a large mixing bowl.
  2. 2
    Cut the cabbage finely, then rinse it and spin (or pat) it dry. Add it to the bowl.
  3. 3
    Mix together fish sauce, mint, rau ram, sugar, lime juice and pepper. Toss gently with the cabbage and chicken. Arrange salad in a serving bowl.
  4. 4
    Garnish with shallots, peanuts, and cilantro leaves.

Comments

Janice Matthews 3/17/2011
A tasty, easy to fix dish. Chocolate mint sounds like it would be strange here, but it's good, as are other specialty mints. However, we were not fond of using spearmint (too toothpastey!) Thai basil also makes an interesting substitute for mint..