Thai Pomelo & Chicken Salad

Put the chicken in a pot and cover it with about 2″ of water. Add lemongrass, onion, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Drain, let chicken cool and shred it. Set aside.

See the related post on how to remove pith and membranes from a pomelo. Once pith and membranes are removed, place pomelo in a bowl and gently separate the juice vesicles. Refrigerate until ready to toss the salad.

You can make the crispy shallots a couple days in advance. Peel the shallots and slice in half from stem to root end. Finely slice the shallots across the grain. Put the canola oil in a small pan and heat until it reaches 275 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, the oil is ready when a piece of shallot added to the oil will immediately bubble. When oil is hot add all the shallots to the oil and turn down the heat to low. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots are golden brown and crispy. Remove the shallots from the pan using a slotted spoon or kitchen spider and drain on paper towels. Shallots will keep in an airtight container for a couple days.

A few minutes before you are ready to serve the salad make the dressing. In a small bowl whisk together the coconut milk with half of the listed amounts of the following ingredients: the Thai red curry paste, Thai fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Taste and adjust these seasonings and salt to your preference. Set aside.

When you are ready to serve the salad, combine the chicken, pomelo, green onions, cilantro, mint, Thai chilies, 2/3 of the peanuts and the coconut flakes in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over the top. Toss with the dressing.

Serve the salad on individual salad plates, nestled between three butter lettuce leaves and garnished with crispy shallots, peanuts and lime wedges. Or mound it on a large serving platter and garnish with lettuce, crispy shallots, peanuts and limes.