Description
One of the most interesting and unique Thai salads, and also one of my favourites! Crunchy wing beans are tossed in a dressing enriched with coconut milk and Thai chili paste. With shredded chicken and poached eggs, it's filling enough to be a meal! You can sub green beans if wing beans are not available.
Ingredients
- 175g wing beans or green beans
- ½ chicken breast*
- 6-8 shrimp*
- 3 Tbsp shredded coconut, toasted (see video for how to toast coconut on the stove)
- 1 Tbsp roasted peanuts, finely crushed
- ½ head shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 eggs (estimate about 1 egg per person)
- 1/3 cup mint leaves
Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1.5 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp Thai chili paste
- 3 Tbsp coconut milk
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 2-3 Thai chilies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
Note: I'm providing instructions for poaching the chicken and the shrimp; however, you can cook them using whatever methods you wish (grill, bake, steam, sauté, etc.).
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Instructions
Poaching chicken and shrimp: Heat a pot of water until 165 degrees Fahrenheit (water is steaming heavily but isn’t simmering yet), salt the water until the water tastes like a well-seasoned soup, then add chicken and poach until done, about 7 minutes or longer if poaching a whole breast. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 F. Remove chicken and cool. Add shrimp and poach them until done; remove from water and cool.
When chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat into shreds.
Blanching beans: Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and add enough salt until the water tastes like a well-seasoned soup. Add the wing beans and cook for 1 minute—it's important to use a large pot of water so that the water temperature doesn't drop drastically; if not using a large pot, cook in batches. Remove from water and immediately add them to a big bowl of ice water. Drain well and slice beans into ¼-inch slices crosswise. If using green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces on a diagonal.
Make medium-boiled eggs: Bring water to a full boil, gently lower eggs into the water and boil for 8 minutes. Remove from pot and immediately submerge them in a bowl of cold water. Peel them once cool enough to handle.
Assembly: Combine all dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until the chili paste is dissolved. Add wing beans, chicken, shrimp, shallots, toasted coconut, peanuts and mint; toss to mix well. Transfer onto a serving plate and serve alongside halved medium-boiled eggs.
