SHOYU POACHED CHICKEN-MANGO SALAD

Sometimes combining cultural foodways, depending on what’s happening in your pantry, leads to some pretty interesting combinations.  Good summer meals often mix a little of this, a little of that—for a plate of small portions of lighter food.  Here the Far East meets the Indian sub-continent, meets New England and the American South—for a plateful of great tastes.  Chicken thighs, 3-4 depending on size, can be poached in the cool of the evening.  A great summer picnic supper with cold sesame noodles, or warm cornbread, or grilled stone fruit, or 3-bean salad, or slices of cold watermelon—or as a side with barbecue. Salad recipe serves 4.

To poach chicken:

• To pot of water, enough to cover 3-4 chicken thighs, add the following—1” sliced ginger, ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup dry sherry, cinnamon stick, 2 tblsp brown sugar, garlic (crushed clove or oil), 1 tblsp bouillon powder, ½ cup sliced green onions, dash of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat, add skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs—then simmer until chicken reads 165’ on meat thermometer.  Remove chicken and chill overnight. 

Salad:

• 3-4 skinned, de-boned chicken thighs, chopped for salad
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• ½+ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup torn cilantro
• 2 tblsp curry powder
• ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted to a crisp light brown—(save some for garnish)
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped red onions for garnish

Mix well and set aside.

Salad Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup mango chutney
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tblsp curry powder (or to taste)

Mix well and gently combine with salad.  Chill well.  Garnish servings with chopped red onion and the toasted almond slices.

The Kitchen Hive