Huế Style Chicken Salad with Vietnamese Cilantro

Thoroughly wash and clean the chicken. I usually lightly scrub several tablespoons of table salt all over the exterior body/interior cavity of the chicken and rub cut lemon wedges over the skin. This acts as a type of “exfoliant” and helps to reduce impurities and grit as the chicken is poaching. Trim any excess fat and skin as well and be sure to remove the bag of giblets and neck. Rinse the chicken well with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Prick the skin of the chicken all over with the tines of a fork.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the fish sauce (nước mắm), ginger, garlic cloves, and peppercorns. Gently ease the chicken into the pot and lower the heat to an even simmer. Poach until cooked, about 25-30 minutes. (Skim off any impurities that may form and discard.) Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and cool to room temperature. (At this point, the poaching liquids can be strained and stored to be used as a light chicken broth at another time.)

While the chicken is cooling, combine the sliced onions and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Toss to cover thoroughly and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. In another small bowl, dissolve the sugar into the lime juice.

When the chicken is cooled enough to handle, shred all the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin, bones, and fatty portions. Toss the shredded chicken with the pickled onions and add in the rau răm (Vietnamese cilantro) and cilantro. Add the lime juice mixture a little bit at a time to your taste preference. Season with salt and pepper.

To plate, spread the shredded cabbage on a large plate and top with a pile of the shredded chicken salad. Sprinkle the tops with fried shallots, chilies, crushed peanuts and serve with nước chấm on the side.

It should be noted that Gà Đi Bộ (free range chicken) is preferred in this dish for its texture and flavor.