This poached coconut chicken salad packs bold, punchy flavours into each mouthful.
I've posted a similar recipe on here back in 2016 (I've hidden it though, because the photos are poor, at best), and since that time I've refined and refined, adding bits and pieces, all the while advocating for poaching chicken breast in coconut milk and serving it with a bouquet of greens. This salad screams summer I think. It'd go nicely with a bottle of chilled white on a warm day, next to the ocean or a sparkling pool. Think about it.
In comparison to my last two dishes as a part of the Eatnik 5 Salads of Summer series, this one is maybe a touch more effort. Well worth your time though, believe me. Poaching is such a wonderful way to cook chicken breast, particularly the 'cool in liquid' method, which helps the meat retain moisture. As a result, your chicken is soft and delicate - none of that crumbly, dry texture.
In both texture and flavour, you have a bit of everything in this salad. Soft and sweet lychees compliment the bright and pungent herbs, crunch from the nuts and fried onion and bite from the chicken.
Hope you love this poached coconut chicken salad as much as I do! Watch the video here. If you do make it, please tag me on Instagram @eatnikfood or using the hashtag #Eatnik5SOS so I can check it out!
Until next week!
Andrea 🐔
Poached Coconut Chicken Salad
This poached coconut chicken salad packs bold, punchy flavours into each mouthful.
- Prep Time: 2 hr 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 2 hr 25 min
- Yield: 4 serves 1x
- Category: Savoury
- Cuisine: Salad
Ingredients
Poached coconut chicken
- 500g chicken breast
- 400g can coconut milk
- Juice from 1 lime
- ½ tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar (or caster sugar)
- 2cm ginger, sliced thinly
- 1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, bruised
- 1 birds eye chilli, sliced in half
- 2 makrut lime leaves
Salad:
- ¼ iceberg lettuce (approx. 2 cups), shredded
- 1 bunch mint (approx. 1 cup), chopped roughly
- 1 bunch coriander (approx. 1 cup), chopped roughly
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 spring onions, cut into 5cm pieces, sliced thinly
- 20 lychees, skins and seeds removed, quartered
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup reserved poaching liquid, chilled
- 4 tbsp toasted, crushed peanuts
- 4 tbsp fried shallots
Instructions
- For the coconut poached chicken: place all ingredients, aside from the chicken, in a medium saucepan. Place over a high heat until boiling. Reduce to a simmer and place chicken in, ensuring they are completely covered. Poach for 12-15 minutes.
- Once time has passed, chicken should be approximately three quarters cooked. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the cooktop. Put the lid on and set aside to cool, leaving chicken in the liquid. Chicken breast will cook through as it sits in the liquid.
- When the poaching liquid has come to blood temperature (approximately 1-2 hours), remove chicken breast and shred to desired texture. Reserve half a cup of poaching liquid. Place into the fridge to chill.
- To make the salad: add lettuce, herbs, bean sprouts, spring onions, lychees and makrut lime leaves to a serving bowl. Add shredded chicken and chilled poaching liquid. Toss together. Divide among four plates - sprinkle each serve with one tablespoon of toasted, crushed peanuts and fried shallots. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you aren't going to serve the salad immediately, hold back on adding the poaching liquid/dressing until you're ready.
- I used fresh lychees for this dish. If they aren't in season you could try the canned type. Just make sure you rinse away the juice it is soaking in.
- You could sub toasted cashews for the peanuts.
- If the coconut milk poaching liquid won't fully submerge your chicken breast, I'd recommend doubling that part of the recipe (e.g. using two cans of coconut milk, juice of two limes etc.)
After more salad inspiration? Check out my Root Vegetable Salad with Herb Yoghurt Dressing or Roast Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing.
