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Sensational Salads: Goi Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad)

3/1/2012

 

Sensational Salads: Goi Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad)

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The finished dish with shredded poached chicken and garnished with coriander and roasted chopped peanuts. Sensational!
Peter and I enjoyed a three day weekend in Melbourne in 2010 and our indulgences included frequenting a Vietnamese restaurant that served a deliciously fresh Goi Ga (chicken salad). We liked it so much that we returned to the crowded little place on three occasions for lunch or dinner. The choice of REALLY good Vietnamese restaurants in our home city is quite limited, you see.
As soon as we arrived home, I consulted my Vietnamese Cookery Bible, Pauline Nguyen's Secrets of the Red Lantern, and have developed and adapted my own recipe loosely based on one in that book. I believe it meets the criteria for a sensational salad. What do you think?

GOI GA (VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SALAD)
For the salad:
500g chicken fillet (breast or tenderloin)
1/2 a small wombok, finely shredded
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup coriander leaves
a few Vietnamese mint leaves, torn (optional)
1/2 cup bean sprouts, tails removed, rinsed and drained well
1 small carrot, peeled and julienned*
1 small Lebanese cucumber, julienned*
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish
a few coriander leaves extra, for garnish

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
1 small chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

First gently poach the chicken. Allow it to cool. Drain and chill it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Combine the prepared wombok, mint and coriander leaves, bean sprouts, julienned carrot and cucumber in a salad bowl. Shred the chicken and arrange it through the salad.

Make the dressing: combine the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and water in a small saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. You can chill the dressing at this point for a really refreshing point of difference. Just before you are ready to serve the salad, add the finely chopped garlic, chilli and lime juice to the dressing. Taste and adjust the flavours to suit your palate.

To finish, sprinkle the dressing liberally over the salad immediately before serving. Garnish with the chopped roasted peanuts and additional mint and coriander leaves. Serves 2-4 as a light lunch or light main meal (dependent on your appetite). Cover and refrigerate any leftovers immediately and enjoy the next day. 

*I use the side julienne notch on my fabulous Titan peeler. It works brilliantly. You may have a similar peeler.
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Finely shredded wombok, mint leaves, bean sprouts and julienne carrots and cucumber combine as the basis to a deliciously crunchy salad
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Lime juice adds a refreshing flavour to the dressing
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The dressing can be made to suit your taste. A little less fish sauce, a little more sugar, a little less chilli, a little more lime juice.
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Jacqui link
2/1/2012 07:23:19 pm

Im going to bookmark this recipe, because I think this will be delicious!! Def going on the must try list!

Lizzy
2/1/2012 08:01:13 pm

Jacqui thanks so much. Do give it a try... when you said you had some limes I thought of how nice this would be for you. Thank you for popping in!

Liz link
3/1/2012 02:19:24 am

So vibrant! And just plain gorgeous! This looks so delicious...I need to try it soon. Happy New Year, Lizzy!

Lizzy
3/1/2012 06:21:01 am

Ah, Liz, so lovely to see you pop in. Happy new year to you also. Do you enjoy Vietnamese food?

betty link
3/1/2012 01:41:22 pm

good job on the salad it looks great :)

Lizzy
3/1/2012 05:10:20 pm

Thank you Betty! Are you on Twitter?

ck link
9/1/2012 07:13:56 pm

This salad looks so light and fresh and vibrant yet tasty, I am really keen to make it. Lovely bright photos do it justice too I think.

Lizzy
9/1/2012 07:32:34 pm

CK, you are so very kind!

Carmen
22/1/2012 03:06:04 pm

Liz, the salad was absolutely delicious. I had 4 chicken tenders left from another recipe and they were enough to make this salad for two (with a little left over for me). The flavours are so fresh and clean.

Lizzy
22/1/2012 07:22:53 pm

Carmen, how wonderful! I am so glad you liked it. One of our firm favourites! Thanks for popping in.

Hotly Spiced link
27/12/2013 08:12:51 am

After all the Christmas feasting a meal like this is so appropriate. I love this chicken salad; I've had it before and I love the crunch and the texture and the flavours. I used to grow Vietnamese mint but it took over the entire herb garden and I just wasn't using it enough so I ripped it out - not a good decision in hindsight as Vietnamese mint is so difficult to buy xx

Lizzy
27/12/2013 08:21:03 am

Thanks Charlie, it's one of my favourites too! I grow my own wombok!


Comments are closed.

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