I was planning to make this salad to celebrate the Chinese New Year earlier this year, but alas, life got in the way and I did not get the chance. I was given this recipe by a good friend of mine named Mai. Knowing that I am a huge collector of recipes and that I am always on the lookout for interesting and tasty things, she shared this recipe that her mom made for her family growing up. If you are lucky enough to find this in more upscale Chinese restaurants, you must order it. Legend has it that Cary grant was a huge fan of the salad and asked Madame Wu’s to add it to their menu after he had enjoyed it at another restaurant.
Now that the warm weather is upon us, I am sure many of you will be eating lighter, so these salads would be great for those days when you are hungry, but not in the mood for anything heavy. Today was one of those days…beautiful and warm and perfect for a light dinner, so I decided to try her recipe. I must say it was really delicious. Unlike croutons, the fried wontons stay crisp in the dressing, and the richness of the thigh meat is a perfect addition…I don’t think breast meat would taste as good in this, but feel free to use it if you want to cut down on some calories.
Chinese Chicken Salad (serves 4)
4-6 pieces of boneless, skinless thigh meat
S & P to taste
white sesame seeds ** optional
mandarin segments ** optional
bamboo shoots ** optional
water chestnuts **optional
1-2 shallots, finely diced **optional, can use instead of spring onion
8 cups of lettuce (I used assorted micro greens but romaine is traditional)
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1 small package wonton skins, cut into 3 tin piles and fried
Salad Dressing
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 tablespoons honey (or 2 tablespoons sugar)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
3-4 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
First, it is important to make the salad dressing and let it hang out for a few hours in the refrigerator. Put all of the ingredients into a large flat bottomed bowl, and then whisk in the oil to create an emulsion. Taste for S&P and add more if you like. Put in the refrigerator. Next, take out your package of wonton skins and cut into 3 piles. One pile is enough for this recipe, but we ended up making the whole package and munched on them until the salad was ready. You can wrap the other two piles individually, and put into the freezer for the next time you make this.
Add a little canola oil to your frying pan, and fry off the wonton skins…be careful because they cook very fast. Remove onto a plate with a paper towel and drain. Remember to add a little salt while they are still warm. Next, slice your onion, and set aside. Rinse your lettuce and allow it to drain in a colander. Rinse and pat dry your chicken thighs and quickly saute in a little oil. If you want to get really fancy, you can toss the thighs in some sesame seeds to create a coating and then fry them up. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and remove onto a plate. Let cool before you slice. In the meantime, prepare your dressing by putting everything together and whisking to create an emulsion. Once the thighs are cool, slice or pull the meat apart into bite sized pieces. Add the rinsed lettuce to a large bowl along with the onion, chicken and fried wonton pieces along with any other items you may enjoy. I keep mine quite simple and rarely add any of the optional items. Spoon the dressing over a little at a time, but don’t add too much. The dressing should not pool at the bottom of the bowl but should get soaked up nicely by the fried wonton pieces. Toss the salad lightly and serve. Top with more chicken pieces and wontons along with a little more dressing. This salad is purely heaven.
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