Cooking Lesson #943: Thai Street Food Chicken Meatball Salad

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Thailand is a beautiful country populated with beautiful people. It is one of my favorite vacation places. There is so much to do (and buy) in Bangkok. I love the day flea markets for fun things and crafts and the night markets for great street foods.
 
I usually stay in one of the up-market hotels in Bangkok for a couple of days and then I love going to one of the outer islands for a laid-back vacation. Rayavadee Resort, on the edge of Krabi's National Marine Park at the heart of the stunning Phranang , perfectly blends lush foliage, limestone cliffs, white sand beaches and the emerald waters of the Andaman Sea.
 
The resort's award-winning architecture and tropical landscapes were inspired by the  atmosphere of a southern Thai village. Rayavadee's beautiful two-story pavilions and beachfront villas are spread over 26 acres of coconut groves, their spacious interiors and décor providing unsurpassed comfort. This is where I first discovered Thai Street Food Chicken Meatball Salad.
 
Filled with traditional Thai flavors like garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, and cilantro, this dish is a little bit like eating a spring roll with peanut sauce—but in salad form. I like making this fresh, flavorful meal ahead of time and eating it on busy nights. Just keep the lettuce and sauce separate and assemble it all when it’s time to eat. Prepping it ahead of time makes it a great option for warmer nights, too. What a great way to have a satisfying meal without having to turn on the oven.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Chill time: 15 minutes
Cook time:  12 minutes
Assemble time: 10
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 pound ground dark meat chicken
1 large egg
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar or palm sugar
1 tablespoon grated garlic, divided
2 teaspoons  grated ginger, divided
2 teaspoons minced Thai chili
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon tamari or light soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1 head butter lettuce, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 grated carrot
1/2 thinly sliced English cucumber
 
Directions
To make the meatballs

1. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, panko, cilantro, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, 2 teaspoons of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger and the minced Thai chili. Mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.
2. Form the mixture into 8 4-ounce balls and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
3. Refrigerate the formed meat balls for 15 minutes.
4. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs, turning them occasionally, until they are well browned and register 165º on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes. Set them aside.

To make the dressing and assemble the salad

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of water, the tamari, brown sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, sambal, remaining 2 teaspoons garlic and 2 teaspoons ginger until smooth.
2. In a large serving bowl, toss together the butter lettuce, grated carrot and cucumber slices.
3. Top with the chicken meatballs and drizzle with peanut dressing.
4. เพลิดเพลิน. Enjoy.

ChefSecret:  Try a different protein by substituting chopped shrimp for ground chicken.

Quip of the Day:  My African American friend hooked up with a girl from Thailand...
It was strictly a black-Thai affair.
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#Entree #ChickenMeatballSalad #PeanutButter #ThaiMarkets #Bangoko #Krabi #Rayaveedee #NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #Dinner #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
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