Wolfgang Puck's iconic Chinois Chicken Salad is the muse for this recipe, which uses sinus-clearing Chinese mustard, rice wine vinegar and togarashi (a Japanese spice blend) for some real flavor. And because we like crunch, and love ramen, we take it next level and fry the ramen, turning the curled noodles into airy, crispy chips.
Crunchy Chicken Salad
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 seconds
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
For the Fried Ramen Noodles:
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup broken ramen noodles (about 2 ounces)
Kosher salt, to taste
For the Salad:
1 roasted or poached chicken, shredded (about 4¼ cups)
⅓ cup roughly chopped toasted almonds
½ cup diced cucumber (½ English cucumber)
¼ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
¼ cup whole-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion (green and white parts)
1 tablespoon Chinese mustard
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
1½ teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon togarashi, plus more to taste
¾ cup broken fried ramen noodles
Directions
1. Make the fried ramen noodles: In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil begins to ripple and reads 350° on a deep-fry thermometer, add the noodles and fry until crispy and golden brown, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the noodles to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt while still hot.
2. Make the chicken salad: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the fried ramen noodles. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. To serve: Fold half of the fried ramen noodles into the chicken salad. Top with the remaining fried ramen noodles, then sprinkle with togarashi and serve.
