This recipe is my take of one of the most surprisingly delicious chicken dishes I ever ate in a restaurant. There were two surprises in this recipe, the addition of fresh coriander leaves and Sweet Chili sauce from a jar which I had never used before. The original dish had peanuts in it, we don't use peanuts because my favorite brother-in-law is allergic.
All I can say is give this recipe a try – the results are worth the effort.
[Rating – easy]
Shredded Chicken, Sweet Chili Sauce, Chopped Almonds, Fresh Coriander, Cucumbers |
[Servings: 4-6 main courses or 6-8 appetizers]
Preparation time:
20 minutes to poach, cool and shred the chicken
20 minutes to cut and mix the remainder of ingredients
Ingredients:
4 whole chicken breasts
Unpoached Chicken Breasts |
2 whole cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half
1 – chunk of fresh ginger (about an inch) - peeled
Garlic and Ginger |
100 grams or 3/4 cup almonds chopped or diced
1 large handful of fresh coriander – chopped
6 large cucumbers – sliced (see picture – I used a simple mandolin)
1 small bottle (250 grams) of ready-made Sweet Chili Sauce
Preparation:
Chopped Almonds, Cucumbers, Sweet Chili Sauce, Fresh Coriander |
POACHING THE CHICKEN
- In a medium size pot - fill with water and add the whole garlic cloves and ginger
- Start heating the water and immediately add the chicken breasts
- The water will begin to heat up and the chicken will begin to turn whitish
- When the water starts to boil the chicken will begin to float
- Give it about 5 more minutes to poach and - it should be fully cooked
- Remove it from the pot – rinse under cold water
- Start shredding the chicken by hand (see photo) into a large bowl [to shred pull small strips from the breast]
Shredded Poached Chicken Breasts |
- Slice the cucumbers in thin strips or use a mandolin type cutter (see picture of an example of one)
Simple Mandolin |
Cut Cucumbers |
CORIANDER
- Chop the coriander
COMBINE – large bowl
- Shredded Chicken
- Diced Almonds
- Chopped Coriander (and some ground black pepper)
- MIX together
- ADD – Sweet Chili Sauce – a whole small bottle (~250 grams)
Shredded Chicken with Cucumbers, Almonds and Sweet Chili Sauce |
Shredded Chicken served on a lettuce leaf |
Shredded Chicken served on a lettuce leaf - just roll it up and eat it by hand!!! |
You can store this dish in a closed container in the refrigerator – if you do there will be some liquid on the bottom –gently spill that out before you serve it (the excess liquid is from the cucumbers).
Options and Substitutions
Chopped peanuts instead of almonds