lunaticsinge.com - Cambodian Cuisine Salads

Chicken & Vegetables Salad - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 limes

1 small banana flower or 2 to 3 cabbage leaves

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Oil, for brushing chicken

1 tomato, seeded & sliced

1 small carrot, peeled & thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, peeled & thinly sliced

1 bunch mint leaves

1 bunch Thai basil leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons peanuts, roasted & chopped

3 lime leaves, finely sliced

1 to 2 red finger length chili peppers, sliced into strips

1. Pour the juice of 1 lime into a bowl and add a little water. Remove the outside petals and stamens from the banana flower. Slice the pale yellow flower thinly, and soak the slices in the lime juice to prevent them from blackening.

2. Brush the chicken breasts with oil and grill them over moderately high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through. Then cut them into fine strips.

3. Combine the banana flower with the sliced chicken, the vegetables and herbs in a bowl and mix together. Season with the sugar, the remaining lime juice and the fish sauce and toss to combine. Garnish with the chopped peanuts, sliced lime leaves and thin strips of red chilies and serve.

Green Papaya Salad - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 bird's-eye chili peppers

1 tablespoon dried shrimp

Pinch of lime zest

1 small green papaya, peeled and slice into thin strips

1/2 cup sliced green beans

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 small bunch Thai basil leaves

1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

4 lime leaves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon palm or dark brown sugar

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons peanuts, roasted & chopped

1. Pound the garlic, chilies, dried shrimp and lime zest together in a mortar.

2. Add the papaya, green beans and tomatoes and keep pounding until the papaya is completely incorporated. Add the basil, cilantro leaves, and lime leaves. Mix together and season with fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Garnish with the chopped peanuts and serve.

Pomelo & Shrimp Salad - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pink grapefruit, peeled & segmented

1 tablespoon oil

7 oz. large fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and finely sliced

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 small bunch mint leaves

1 small bunch Thai basil leaves

2 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, finely sliced

2 cups bean sprouts

Juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1. Break the fruit segments into rough pieces.

\2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the shrimp until golden. Alternatively, grill the shrimp on a well-oiled grill and set them aside.

3. Combine the grapefruit, cooked shrimp, vegetables and herbs in a bowl and mix together. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved, Pour the seasoned lime juice over the salad, toss to combine and serve.

Watermelon Salad - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

7 oz. dried salt cod, soaked in water for 1 hour then drained, squeezing out all the excess liquid

2 cups watermelon, diced & seeded

3 green onions (scallions), finely sliced

1 small bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the dried fish very quickly until it becomes a light golden color. Remove the fish from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Pound the fried fish in a mortar or roughly chop it on a cutting board.

2. Combine the watermelon, fish, green onions and the cilantro leaves in a bowl and toss together. Season with the lime juice and serve.

Green Mango Salad with Smoked Fish - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 cup skinned, de-boned and flaked smoke fish or fresh fish

2 green mangoes, peeled & grated

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced into thin strips

3 onions, peeled & thinly sliced

2 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, thinly sliced

1 bunch cilantro leaves

1 small bunch Thai basil leaves

Juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon palm or dark brown sugar

1 to 2 bird's-eye chili peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons peanuts, roasted & chopped

1. Pound the smoked fish roughly in a mortar. If you are using fresh fish, fry it lightly in 1 teaspoon of oil until cooked. Let it cool, de-bone it and then slice it into thin strips.

2. Combine the fish, mangoes, vegetables, and herbs in a bowl and mix well. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar un a small bowl and stir until completely dissolved. Pour the lime juice over the salad and toss to combine. Garnish with the chopped chilies and peanuts then serve.

Pineapple & Ginger Ceviche - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

14 oz. firm white fish fillets (no skin), such as seas bass or halibut thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups cubed fresh pineapple

2-inch fresh ginger root, peeled & chopped

2 tablespoons salt

3 small red shallots, peeled & thinly sliced

2 bird's-eye chili peppers, thinly sliced

1 bunch cilantro leaves, finely sliced

1. Combine the fish, pineapple and ginger in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with the salt. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2. To serve, combine the marinated fish with the shallots, chilies and cilantro leaves in a bowl and mix well. Serve with the raw vegetables or fruit plate.