Gỏi Gá (Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad)

Pick up a rotisserie chicken for this salad, then toss it with crisp cabbage, carrots, red onion, herbs, and a tangy dressing before topping it with fried shallots and chopped peanuts.

Gỏi Gá simply means "chicken salad" in Vietnamese — and it's one of the country's most popular salads. Served cold, it's made with shredded chicken and cabbage, along with fresh herbs, carrots, and onion. The tangy dressing is tempered with a bit of fish sauce and sugar. It's a great warm-weather meal, especially if you're using a rotisserie chicken.

Total Time45

Servings: 4

Author: Eric Banh & Sophie Banh - Food&Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce
1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice plus lime wedges for serving
1½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 serrano chile with seeds minced
1 small garlic clove minced
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
2 large shallots thinly sliced
Kosher salt
4 cups green cabbage from 1/2 small head, finely shredded
2 carrots finely shredded
½ small red onion thinly sliced
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
¼ cup coarsely chopped mint
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken from 1/2 chicken
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, water, chile, and garlic and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the dressing stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the shallots on paper towels; reserve the oil for another use. Sprinkle the shallots with salt and let cool.
In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, red onion, cilantro, mint, and shredded chicken. Add the olive oil and the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with the peanuts and fried shallots and serve the chicken salad with lime wedges.

Notes

Don't skip making this salad's fried shallot topping. It's not at all difficult, and the flavor and texture imparted by the golden, crispy shallots is part of what makes this salad so special. The recipe calls for two large shallots, thinly sliced. If you have a mandoline, this would be a good time to use it; the more uniform the slices, the more evenly the shallots will cook. Once they're fried to perfection (keep a close eye, this happens fast!), use a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon to remove the shallots from the oil. After it's cooled, be sure to save the onion-scented oil for another use — it's great for frying eggs or potatoes.