Chicken and Pomelo (or Ruby Grapefruit) Salad

A community recipe by kgw

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

You can substitute ruby grapefruit for pomelo. This recipe adapted from David Thompson's massive Thai Food (with apologies to same). It doesn't sound quick, but it really is great if you can get everything for it, and it is well worth trying.

Ingredients

Serves: 2

Metric Cups

For the Chicken

1 chicken breast (skinless)
250 millilitres coconut cream
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons chicken stock (or water)

For the Dressing

4 tablespoons coconut cream (for poaching)
1 pinch of palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon thai fish sauce (nam pla)
½ tablespoon lime juice

For the Salad

2 sticks lemongrass (finely sliced)
4 makrut lime leaves (shredded)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander
1 handful basil leaves
1 handful mint leaves
250 millilitres pomelo (preferably pink - can substitute pink grapefruit)
1 tablespoon dry roasted peanuts (ground to paste)
3 large red chillies (grilled and seeded)
2 cloves garlic (grilled then peeled)
1 pinch of salt

For the Chicken

1 chicken breast (skinless)
9 fluid ounces coconut cream
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons chicken broth (or water)

For the Dressing

4 tablespoons coconut cream (for poaching)
1 pinch of palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon thai fish sauce (nam pla)
½ tablespoon lime juice

For the Salad

2 sticks lemongrass (finely sliced)
4 makrut lime leaves (shredded)
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 handful basil leaves
1 handful mint leaves
9 fluid ounces pomelo (preferably pink - can substitute pink grapefruit)
1 tablespoon dry roasted peanuts (ground to paste)
3 large red chiles (grilled and seeded)
2 cloves garlic (grilled then peeled)
1 pinch of salt

Method

Chicken and Pomelo (or Ruby Grapefruit) Salad is a community recipe submitted by kgw and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Poach a chicken breast in the coconut cream with a pinch of salt. Should take about 5 mins until cooked. If the coconut cream looks like splitting, add a few tablespoons of stock or water.

Meanwhile, make the paste using the chillies, garlic and salt.

To grill the chillies, I just hold them in a gas flame for a few seconds, but make sure you prick them first or it'll be an exploding chilli - not a recommended way of deseeding (ahem).

I then cut the end off and shake out the seeds before roughly chopping. Same gas treatment with the garlic, as I am too impatient to heat up the grill for such a small job.

I foolishly use a mortar and pestle to make the paste, but you can much more easily use a grinder!

This is the bit I love from the book - when chicken is cooked, remove from the heat and the original recipe tells us to 'shred elegantly'. Not sure anything can look elegant shredded, but if you've achieved it, sensational. Mine always looks a dogs breakfast.