This recipe is adapted from Naomi Duguid’s chicken salad in “Burma: Rivers of Flavor.” It incorporates shallots two ways, raw and fried, as well as the deeply savory oil used to fry them. Bright with lime juice, the raw heat of a green chile and plenty of fresh herbs, it’s excellent plain, or with some chopped cucumber and lettuce beneath it, for crunch. As Ms. Duguid points out in the book, it’s a dressing that can be applied to refresh all manner of leftovers, from the roasted turkey you’re left with the day after Thanksgiving, to the roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 ½cups thinly sliced shallots
- 4tablespoons peanut oil
- 2cups leftover cooked turkey meat, pulled into bite-size pieces
- 2tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 1jalapeño, seeded and minced
- Handful of coriander and mint leaves, torn
Preparation
- Divide the sliced shallots: Soak 1/3 cup of the shallots in cold water for about 10 minutes; drain through a mesh sieve and set aside. Heat the peanut oil and fry the remaining 2/3 cup shallots, mixing occasionally, until golden brown. Drain through the sieve, reserving both shallots and oil. (Do not press on the shallots as they drain. They will clump together.)
- In a mixing bowl, toss together raw shallots and turkey meat. Add lime juice, salt, jalapeño and 2 teaspoons reserved oil from frying shallots, and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of fried shallots, along with the herbs, and mix well. Taste and adjust with salt and lime juice as needed. Serve with any remaining shallots and shallot oil on the side.
Dining and Cooking