Doesn’t this look like the yu sheng we normally have during Chinese New Year? Yep, I definitely got my inspiration from there. In fact, this salad can also qualify as the chicken version of yu sheng as it makes a really good alternative for those of you who don’t like raw fish. It is also a safer option for consumption as it is no longer recommended to eat any of those raw freshwater fish as they have resulted in cases of severe (and fatal) food poisoning in Singapore since last year.
I made the dressing just like how I would make the same for yu sheng with plum sauce as the base. It was sweet and sour with just a light hint of spice from the chilli sauce that was really balanced by the various sweet-tasting fruits used in this. Let’s toss and enjoy! 🙂
Oriental Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4)
200g boneless chicken breast
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
150g instant natural jellyfish, rinsed & drained
100g cucumber, shredded
60g carrot, shredded
1 dragonfruit, shredded
2 kiwis, shredded
2 rose apples (jambu), shredded
2 tbsp roasted white sesame seeds
coriander leaves as garnish
Dressing:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp plum sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp 5-spice powder
3 dashes of ground white pepper
juice of 4 calamansi limes
Instructions
1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Stir to mix and chill in fridge till ready to use.
2. Marinate chicken with salt and sesame oil and steam at high heat for 15 minutes till cooked through.
3. Leave the chicken to cool before shredding the meat with your hands.
4. Transfer the chicken meat into a bowl and pour the steaming liquid into it. Use the back of a spoon to gently press and compact the meat. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. To assemble the chicken salad, overturn the bowl of chicken meat onto the middle of a big serving plate.
6. Arrange the jellyfish, vegetables and fruits around the chicken and spoon the dressing over.
7. Scatter the sesame seeds on top and garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Toss the salad thoroughly and serve.