Vietnamese Lime & Mint Chicken

This chicken and noodle salad definitely fit the bill. The chicken has a wonderful citrusy glaze, and the mint and veggies add texture and crunch to the bean thread noodles.

Yield:

2 Servings

Ingredients

1. 1 lime
2. 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3. 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4. 1 tbsp sugar
5. 1/4 tsp ground pepper
6. 1 large or two small chicken boneless chicken breasts
7. 1 tbsp peanut oil
8. 3.5 oz bean thread noodles
9. 1/4 cucumber, cut into sticks
10. 1/2 carrot, cut into sticks
11. small handful of mint sprigs
12. 1/2 red jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

Directions

1. Zest 1/2 of the lime and set the zest aside.
2. Squeeze squeeze all the juice from the lime and add to a bowl. Mix with the fish sauce, garlic, sugar, and ground pepper. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the chicken to the bowl, making sure it’s coated well, and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the peanut oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook for five minutes until the skin is browned. Set the heat at medium-low, turn the chicken over, and pour the rest of the marinade in. Cover the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, then uncover and cook until chicken is cooked through, another 5 minutes or so.
4. Meanwhile, soak the noodles in hot water for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Drain, and mix with the carrot, cucumber, and mint leaves. Slice the chicken and arrange over the noodles. Garnish with the chopped jalapeño and lime zest.

Notes