Coconut Poached Chicken Salad with Crispy Noodles - Chef Recipe by Nick Stapleton

Ingredients

Coconut poached chicken:

1kg chicken breasts, skin removed
25g garlic, crushed
25g ginger, sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, crushed
35mL fish sauce
50mL palm sugar, blonde
2 long red chillies, sliced
20g coriander root
10g cassia bark
650mL coconut cream

Salad with crispy noodles:

100g bean sprouts
1 punnet red cherry tomatoes, halved
1 punnet yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
90g crispy rice noodles
2 green shallots, finely sliced
3/4 bunch mint, picked
3/4 bunch Vietnamese mint, picked
3/4 bunch of dill, tough stems trimmed
35g extra virgin olive oil

Garnish:

10g crispy rice noodles
1 long red chilli, finely sliced

Method

Coconut poached chicken:

Pre-heat oven to 160 C.

Place the chicken breasts with the tenderloin to the base, into a baking dish ensuring they maintain their plump shape.

Add remaining ingredients to the baking dish. Cover with baking paper and foil. Bake for about 45 minutes until cooked.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the liquid, which needs to be reserved for coconut dressing.

When ready to serve, drain the liquid from the chicken. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and pour into a serving jug. Discard waste.

Slice the chicken breasts across the grain.

Salad with crispy noodles:

Just prior to serving, place all vegetables, herbs and 90g of crispy rice bowls in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and gently toss.

To plate:

Place slices of chicken onto the base of a bowl then top with salad. Drizzle with coconut dressing and garnish with crispy rice noodles and slices of chilli to taste.

Optional sides:

Coconut dressing
Ground white pepper
Fish sauce
Chilli oil