Sponsored By:

Chef:

Jenny
Jenny

Crispy Crunchy Thai Salad

All the fresh chili, lime, and crispy rice come together to make this light satisfying salad sing. Classic techniques and timeless flavor combinations will have you whipping this yummy salad up in the regular! Come on over tonight!

Recipe

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes active, plus 3-5 hours to marinate

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Steak:

  • 1 pound veal
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated

For the Crispy Rice:

  • 2 cups white jasmine rice, cooked and cooled
  • 1⁄3 cup rice flour
  • Neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable oil, for frying Salt to taste

For the Salad:

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • Juice of one lime, or 2 tablespoons
  • 1 Thai bird chili, thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1⁄3 cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 1⁄3 cup thinly sliced cilantro, leaves and stems
  • 1⁄4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
  • 1⁄2 c thinly sliced leaves and tender celery stems from the center of the celery
  • 1 cup arugula, roughly chopped
  • 1⁄3 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped

Instructions:

  1. Marinate the veal. Combine the vegetable oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, and grated garlic. Place the veal in a shallow container or ziplock bag and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate, allow to marinate for 3-5 hours before cooking.
  2. Make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, chicken bouillon powder, fish sauce, lime juice, chili, and shallot. Set aside.
  3. Cook the veal. Remove the veal from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat until very hot and lightly smoking. Sear the steak for 3-4 minutes per side. Move the veal to a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Slice the veal very thinly against the grain, it should be rare in the middle. Add the sliced veal to the mixing bowl with the salad dressing. The acid in the dressing will continue to cook the veal.
  4. Fry the rice. Fill a large pot or wok with 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium-high heat to 350oF, or until a grain of rice sizzles and floats when dropped into the oil. While the oil is heating, spread the rice on a baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps. Sprinkle the rice flour over the rice, and toss with your hands, coating the rice well and breaking up any large or sticky clumps. The rice should feel very dry. Fry the rice in batches, add 2⁄3 cup of the rice to the hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the rice is lightly browning. Use a fine mesh strainer to transfer the rice to a baking sheet lined with paper towels, season lightly with salt. Repeat until all the rice is cooked.
  5. Mix the salad. To the mixing bowl with the dressing and veal, add the scallions, cilantro, mint, celery, arugula, cashews, and crispy rice. Toss well and serve.