Thai Curry Chicken and Red Grape Salad
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PortionsChef Scott Samuel from The Culinary Institute of America says this is the best chicken salad you’ll ever have. He adds spicy Thai red curry paste and cooling red grapes, to make this chicken salad stand out above the crowd. He designed this recipe for retail foodservice, but it’s also suitable for many other foodservice venues.
Ingredients
3 lb Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
3 Tbsp Red curry paste
- DRESSING BASE
2 Tbsp Peanut oil
3 ea Thai chili, stemmed, sliced in half
2 Tbsp Red curry paste
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 cup Green bell pepper, diced ¼”
2 tsp Fish sauce
½ cup Thai basil, stemmed, torn
½ up Coconut milk
- COLD BASE
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
½ tsp Ground black pepper
1 cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
4 ea Green onions, including the white and green parts, thinly sliced
½ cup Mint, torn
1 Tbsp Lime juice
2 Tbsp Thai chili sauce
2 cups Seedless red grapes, cut in half
Directions
- To cook the chicken, rub the chicken breast with the red curry paste and let marinate for 1 hour. Roast at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes, rest for 30 minutes. Cool and dice. You will have 6 to 7 cups of chicken, more or less. Set aside.
- To make the dressing base: In a medium sauté pan, add the peanut oil, Thai red chilies, and red curry paste. Cook over low heat until you have a nice aroma. Add the garlic, bell pepper, fish sauce, and Thai basil and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer; reduce by half, or until it’s thick enough to coat a spoon. Set aside and cool completely.
- For the cold base: In a large bowl whisk together the soy sauce, mayonnaise, and dressing base from above. Add cilantro, green onions, and mint and toss to coat. Add the lime juice, Thai chili sauce, and red grapes and toss again. Add the cooked and diced chicken and mix until combined.
