News Summary

For the salad:
1 large banana blossom, about 1 pound
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
1/2 hothouse cucumber, seeded and cut into julienne strips
1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced lengthwise into paper thin strips
1 cup loosely packed rau ram leaves
2 tablespoons fried shallots *
3 tablespoons dry roasted peanuts, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the dressing: Place the garlic, chiles and sugar in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste (or use a mini-heller_q_t processor). Transfer to a small bowl and combine with 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, water and fish sauce. Set aside.

To make the salad: Remove the 2 or 3 outer layers of the banana blossom (you can use them to serve the salad). Cut off the bottom core and the tip. Using a very sharp knife, slice crosswise into the thinnest possible strips. As you move down the blossom you will eventually encounter what looks like tiny bananas. Now remove all the leaves, discarding the baby banana pieces. Stack the leaves, roll them into a cylinder and continue slicing. Place the blossom shreds in a bowl of cold water to cover and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of lime juice. Use your fingers to separate the slices into rings, much as you would an onion. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse and leave in water until ready to use. Then drain again.

Place the chicken in a bowl and add half the dressing. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

Add the banana blossom shreds, julienned cucumber, onion, herbs, fried shallots and half the peanuts and the remaining dressing. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss, transfer to a serving dish and top with the remaining peanuts.

Serve garnished with sprigs of fresh herbs.

Note: Toasted sesame seeds are also sometimes added to the salad. If star fruit is available, slice it thin. If it is sweet, add it to the salad when combined. If it is sour - and it may be - marinate it with a little sugar for five minutes before adding.)

Small jars of fried shallots are available at Asian stores.