Chinese Chicken Salad

Goooood morning! I've been meaning to copy this recipe for myself and figured I'd blog about it too!!! Unfortunately I haven't personally made it, so I can't give you step by step extra Tina suggestions to go along with the recipe, but I have tasted its yumminess. Worth sharing for sure, just not sure how easy it is to make from experience.

2 pictures of the same thing - this one from Ezra Pound Cake's blog

This recipe comes from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties! book and is called Chinese Chicken Salad. So here is my dilemma. In the copy I have from my mom's recipe (which appears that it is right from the book) the amounts are all doubled from what I found online here and here however all recipes say it serves 12? I would be inclined (thinking logically here) that the half recipe... would serve 6! Anyway, you have been warned. As you have the half recipes in the 2 websites above, I'll post what is in her book.

This image comes from Something Sweet By Karen's blog.

Ingredients:

-8 split chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)

-Good olive oil

-Kosher salt

-Freshly ground black pepper

-1 pound asparagus, ends removed, cut into thirds diagonally (we used edamame and it was delish! snow peas would work too!)

-2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded

-4 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally

-2 Tbl white sesame seeds, toasted*

For the Dressing:

-1 cup vegetable oil

-1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar

-1/3 cup soy sauce

-3 Tbl dark sesame oil

-1 Tbl honey

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-1 tsp peeled, grated fresh ginger

-1 Tbl white sesame seeds, toasted*
-1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
-4 tsp kosher salt
-1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large, bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers into strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the shredded chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to tasted. Serve cold or at room temperature.

*Note: to toast sesame seeds, place them in a dry saute pan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until browned.

Now I don't know if this is just my stubborn head, but I have a hard time calling something a "salad" when there isn't lettuce in it.. I know, tuna salad, egg salad.. I'm at peace with those salads.. but have the dilemma with this recipe! The first time I enjoyed it, I put it in a tortilla and made it into a wrap! Very yummy, and it made it a wrap not a salad! It really is tasty all by itself too though.. whatever you want to call it!

When my mom made it she cut everything up into small pieces. The second photo above shows everything in much larger pieces.. Just wanted to point that out. Also, she shredded the chicken all the way which made it different as well. I think both ways would work just fine! Using edamame was probably easier too - especially if you just buy the steam kind and prepare it in the microwave - no blanching and plunging necessary!

What do you think? Would you give it a try as a side dish at your next lunch or dinner party?