Thai Chicken Salad

If you ventured over to the Bite Club Blog in the past few days, you'll see that my first restaurant profile was of Biscottis. The manager told us that their #1 selling salad is the Thai Chicken. He said that patron's can't get enough of the dressing, ask for extra, even want to bathe in it. I tried the salad, and really liked it, but he was so right about the dressing! Pretty much what happened next was inevitable when I eat at a restaurant, it was a challenge to myself to re-create this amazing dressing.


For weeks now I've been thinking about it... trying to construct it and deconstruct it. What stood out to me the most when I first tried it was the base of coconut milk, tahini and possibly sesame oil, as flavor was so deep and nutty. Allan also told me that the chicken was white meat, but marinated in soy sauce, which made it look dark. There is also a little fresh pineapple salsa on the salad, which is probably my favorite part because it brings some sweetness and fresh flavor to the dish. Biscottis serves this salad chilled completely, but I like my chicken warm-room temperature, so I cooked the chicken, let it cool a bit, then served it.

Biscotti's Thai Chicken Salad

Chicken Marinade:

1 lb. chicken breasts or tenders, trimmed

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 crushed garlic cloves

Juice of 1/2 lime

Pineapple Salsa:

1 cup finely minced pineapple

1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely minced

1/4 cup finely minced green onion

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp. honey

2 tbsp. minced cilantro

Dressing:

1 cup coconut milk, well-shaken

1/4 cup well-stirred tahini

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

Salt and white pepper to taste

Additional:

Mixed Greens

Snow Peas

Add chicken and marinade ingredients to a tupperware, coat in mixture, refrigerate for an hour.

Add all salsa ingredients together in a mixing bowl, toss, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat, cook chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, remove from heat, rest for 5 minutes.

Dice snow peas, toss with greens in a salad bowl.

Add dressing ingredients to a dish, whisk well.

Slice chicken, place on greens, top with salsa and dressing.