Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Cabbage (Gỏi Gà)

Chicken and pickled onion

1. Vietnamese chicken salad is mostly made of raw vegetables, so it can turn out a little dry. That is why it uses a lot of dressing made from lime juice, fish sauce, flavorings (garlic, chili, ginger) and plain warm water. You can use only white cabbage, only red cabbage, or a mix, as you prefer. For the chicken, I prefer boneless, skinless thighs, though you can just as well use fillet or the meat of a whole chicken. The lightly pickled sweet onion is important. It adds certain notes to the flavor of the salad.

   

2. Boil the chicken until done. Put a pot of water on the heat, salt the water and add a piece of peeled ginger cut into slices. Put the washed chicken thighs into the still cold water. When the water comes to a boil, skim off the foam, reduce the heat to low and cook the thighs covered until done, when the pink juice in the middle of the meat is gone. Then cool the meat to room temperature.

   

3. While the meat is cooking, pickle the sweet onion. You need only a little, a small onion or half of a large one is enough. Peel it and cut it into thin strips. Put the onion in a cup or small bowl. Add 1 tsp of sugar (5 g) and the juice of half a lime. Stir, then add warm boiled water so the liquid covers the onion. Cover the cup with a saucer and leave for 10-15 mins.

   

Dressing

1. Prepare the dressing for the Vietnamese chicken salad. Peel the rest of the ginger, the garlic and the chili. Chop all of them very finely with a knife. Add the juice of the other half of the lime, 0.5 tsp of sugar (2 g) and a little salt. Also add 1 tbsp of fish sauce, which is often used in salad dressings. Stir, and when the sugar dissolves, add 3-4 tbsp of warm water. I suggest making more sauce, since you may want a juicier salad.

   

Salad

1. Shred the cabbage, carrot and herbs and put them in a salad bowl. All the cabbage needs to be shredded very thinly. If you can, use a sharp knife. Or, which is quicker and easier, use a home shredder or a multi-slicer, which often has a shredding option. Peel the carrot and grate it. Pull the leaves off the cilantro and mint sprigs and chop them coarsely or tear them with your fingers. Put the cabbage, carrot, all the herbs and the pickled onion, once the liquid has drained off it, in a large salad bowl.

   

3. Shred the chicken and add it to the vegetables. Remove the bones and skin from the cooled chicken thighs. Using your fingers or a fork, pull the meat into strips or fibers.

   

4. Dress the salad. Toss the chicken salad and pour half of the prepared dressing over it. After tossing again, taste it. If needed, add spices, garlic and chili to the rest of the dressing, add it to the salad and toss again. The salad should taste pleasantly spicy, with noticeable heat and sweetness.

Serving

1. Divide the salad among serving plates. Toast a little peeled raw peanuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, and sprinkle them over the salad. Garnish the dish with a sprig of fresh mint.

   

   Most often this salad is a dish on its own. But it is even better served as a side dish with various mains.

   For extra additions, use different herbs. Plenty of greens in this salad is only welcome. Instead of regular cabbage you can try Chinese cabbage or leaf lettuce. The dish is often garnished with well-fried shallot rings when served.