Thursday, September 17, 2009

Crispy Asian Chicken Salad - Recipe # 40 Stirring the Pot


I'm convinced that all husbands love to tease their wives. After so many Tyler meals and finding Tyler's cookbooks in the bed, my husband has become quite acquainted with Tyler. In fact, he has come up with a very funny nickname for Tyler. Hubby likes to call Tyler "T Flo". I'm not sure if Tyler would like this nickname, but I happen to find it hysterical. It always makes me laugh when the nickname is mentioned because it's not representative of Tyler at all. Then it makes me chuckle because it implies that we know Tyler well enough to give him a nickname.

Tonight I made T Flo's Crispy Asian Chicken Salad. It was easy and didn't require a sink full of dirty dishes! (Bonus points for Tyler) I loved everything about this salad and found it a welcome change to all the heavy Italian dishes, desserts and home cooking. I love the crunch of the wonton crisps, the bite of the sesame seeds, and the overall appeal of all the colors in this salad. It is a unique salad that is sure to please. I love the fact that I can feel good about eating this week's T Flo recipe.

Crispy Asian Chicken Salad - Stirring the Pot, by Tyler Florence
1 and a half inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds for more color)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
extra virgin olive oil
1 large boneless chicken breast (Tyler says skin on, I say skin OFF- yuck), halved
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise for fancy prep or cubed it really wouldn't matter
6 wonton wrappers, cut into strips, deep-fried, and salted
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F. For the glaze, combine the ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce in a small bowl and stir to mix. Set aside.
In a large saute pan heat a 2-count of olive oil (about 2 tbsp) over medium heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the breasts, skin sides down, in the pan and sear for 3-5 minutes, until golden. Turn the breasts over and, using a pastry brush, liberally brush the glaze on top of the skin. Place the whole pan in the preheated oven and roast for 7-10 minutes, until chicken juices run clear (180F). Baste with glaze throughout cooking so the breast remains moist and tender. Let chicken stand until ready to serve the salad, then slice chicken.
Arrange zucchini strips on the bottom of a plate and top with sliced chicken breast. Scatter crispy wonton strips on top and drizzle with pan juices. Garnish with cilantro.

Notes: This was by far my most favorite salad from Stirring the Pot, thus far. Sometimes I am weird about dishes that are hot and cold. I prefer my chicken to be room temp or almost cold on top of a salad. I let my chicken completely cool before eating. I loved everything about this salad. It was sweet and salty, which is a great combination! I have to say that I agree with Tyler when he says that not every Asian salad has to start with mandarin oranges. I think this is a great salad that has crunch, flavor, and is visually appealing. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys these Asian flavors and wants to deviate from the "normal" salad full of lettuce. This is a terrific way to showcase all that summer zucchini. I absolutely devoured it : D

This is my submission to this week's Tyler Florence Fridays. Please head on over there to see what everyone else has made this week. This is also my submission to this week's Souper Sundays, hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

20 comments:

  1. Looks so delicious! Love the nick name too.

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  2. This does sound really good. I have never tried making wonton crisps, though I've loved them when I've had them in a restaurant dish. I'll bet they make a really nice topper for this.

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  3. mmmm - I wish I could have that for lunch right about now..

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  4. Wow, it's gorgeous...great photos! And I've been wanting to make this, sounds so yummmmmmmy! Thanks T-Flo, LOL.

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  5. I love the sound- and looks- of this salad. It's very interesting that it doesn't have lettuce. You've really got me intrigued. :)

    Your nickname for TF is cracking me up!

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  6. Great flavors going on here! A fabulous salad!

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  7. This is a great salad, yours looks so pretty!

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  8. That looks like one for my to-do file. Yummy.

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  9. Kim,
    That is a beautiful salad!Great picture.

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  10. T-Flo--that nickname is too funny! The salad looks delicious.

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  11. yum! that sounds really good.

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  12. This sounds excellent! I am still trying to use up some zucchini- this sounds very different, which at this point is good! The zucchini is raw in the salad? Have a great weekend!

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  13. Now this looks like my kind of meal. That chicken looks so perfectly moist and tender. Yum!

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  14. Yummy!! Perfect blend of tastes for a stunning salad!

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  15. This dish sounds really good. Tyler does Asian flavors so well, and his chicken salads always look delicious! I need to give Ty a nickname (other than Ty, obviously). I love that you call him T Flo.

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  16. I love it, T Flo! That's how I'll think of him from now on. I miss participating in TFF, but he's hard to Weight Watcherize. This recipe sounds good (minus the dreaded Z; sorry, I don't do zucchini). Looks lovely, too.

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  17. My husband would LOVE this! He is in love with Asian salads. I love the nickname your hubby gave Tyler too...lol. My hubby would probably do the same thing...lol.

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  18. Oh for sure, I could clean that plate...all by myself. Welcome to the Foodie blogroll

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  19. I heart Tyler Florence! I think he is adorable! I wake up on Saturday mornings and rush to have my coffee ready and I curl up on the couch to watch him. I love your pictures for this recipe...very cute! We definitely have a few things in common :)

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