My Go-To Picnic Potluck Dish
By Andrew Zimmern
I’m going to be honest with you, a nakiri is just as versatile as a Western-style chef’s knife.
The blade’s straight edge and perfect balance make it the unsung hero of precision vegetable prep, a kitchen workhorse that handles everything from delicate herbs to hearty roots. One knife. Every vegetable. Flawless results.
This potluck ready salad is on a weekly rotation in my house, and I can make the whole thing with this one knife. The salad is my go-to recipe for summer picnics, backyard parties or office lunch meal prep (it keeps for days, just store the crunchy garnishes separately). Pro tip: bookmark the dressing, it will transform your summer cooking.
Chicken Salad with Peanut-Sesame Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- Salt
- Sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- 1/2 package wonton wrappers (about 6 ounces), thinly sliced in julienne
- 1 small head napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 radicchio, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, julienne
- 5 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into needles
- 1 hydro cucumber, seeds removed and thinly sliced into half moons
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Peanut-Sesame Sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 1 tablespoon chile crisp
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If you want to make fried chicken skin, remove the skin from each thigh, set aside. Season the chicken with salt and sesame seeds. Preheat a large oven proof pan over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, then add the chicken thighs in an even layer and cook until browned. Flip the chicken and then place the pan in the oven, bake until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the bone and slice for the salad.
Heat a couple inches of oil to 365 degrees F. Add the chicken skin (if using) and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Season with salt. Add the threads of wonton wrappers and fry, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Reserve to a paper towel.
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, radicchio, carrots, scallion, radishes, tomato, cucumber and cilantro. Add the sliced chicken, and dress with the peanut-sesame sauce. Toss to evenly combine. When you’re ready to serve, top with crispy wonton strips and crumbled fried chicken skin. If you’re taking this to a picnic or a potluck, pack the wonton strips and chicken skin separately and combine once you’re ready to eat!
