Neil Perry's chicken and silken tofu salad
I just love these elements together – the creamy chicken with the jelly-like tofu and the fiery, vinegary sauce topping it off. Just add crunchy cucumber and a vibrant hit of coriander and you have the perfect salad. If you're short of time, buy a half roast chook and shred that, skin and all, into the salad. The texture will be changed, but it'll still taste delicious. Serve with rice as part of a shared meal.
Ingredients
1 chicken breast
150ml Shaoxing wine
40g sea salt
3cm knob ginger, bruised
3 garlic cloves, smashed
4 spring onions, bruised
For the dressing
3 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
40ml chilli oil
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
2 tsp garlic, finely grated
1 spring onion, finely sliced
For the salad
1 cucumber
300g silken tofu, drained and cut into 8 squares
½ bunch coriander, leaves picked
Method
Step 1
To cook the chicken, place Shaoxing, sea salt, ginger, garlic and spring onions into a medium, heavy-based saucepan with 2 litres of water and bring to the boil. Add the chicken to the boiling stock, then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 12 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave the chicken to steep in the stock for 18 minutes, then remove from the stock and leave to cool to room temperature.
Step 2
To make the dressing, blend all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 3
Cut the cucumber into 4cm lengths, then cut into juliennes.
Step 4
Shred the meat of the chicken breast. Place in a bowl, add the tofu carefully and pour over the dressing liberally. Fold gently with your hand, then transfer to a serving dish and top with the cucumber and coriander. Serve with rice.
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Neil Perry is a restaurateur, chef and former Good Weekend columnist.From our partners
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