Recipe and photos by Kourtney Paranteau aka CuteMeatInc.
I grew up in the 1990s at the height of chain restaurants and strip malls, and I've recently come full circle on certain dishes I still exhibit guilty cravings for. At the very top of that list is the requisite "Asian-inspired" chicken salad every casual dining chain has floating on their menu. I have to admit I was drawn to them because of their faux-exoticism combined with a false sense of representation (I'm part Korean). And just like bands I realized were cringeworthy in my 20s (Everclear), but now proudly blast in my car on sunny days, I've freed myself of the baggage I've carried over the often (and embarrassingly) entitled "Oriental Chicken Salad" and made a version that is all my own. Unlike its predecessor, this salad's dressing isn't cloyingly syrupy, nor does it wear sad, sloppy tangerine segments throughout its leaves. Instead, the citrus flavor lives in the preserved kumquat dressing and fresh zest, almost as if the salad of my youth grew up and went to grad school. But, of course, like its inspiration, the Crispy Yakisoba Salad keeps the best quality of the original—the crunch of fried noodles.
Home deep frying can, rightfully, intimidate. It’s messy and potentially a little dangerous, but figuring out a system that works in your kitchen so that you can deep fry will allow you to include crunchy little unexpected tidbits to homemade salads. I recommend arming yourself with a digital thermometer, a splatter screen, choosing a pot a little wider and a little deeper than you think you’ll need, and working in small, manageable batches, which is where you’ll start with your star ingredient, the yakisoba noodles.
Serves 4 (as a meal)
Preserved Kumquats
2 cups kumquats
1 cup kosher salt
3 serrano peppers, seeded and sliced
4 tangerines, juiced
Sanitize your canning jar and clear a workspace for yourself. On a large cutting board, slice all of your kumquats in half and pack each one with salt. Place them in your jar along with serrano slices. When you’re all out of kumquats, pack the rest of your jar with the remaining salt and pour tangerine juice over the top so that the kumquats are submerged and seal. Refrigerate for a minimum of two weeks before opening, periodically shaking the jar between fridge visits.
Salad
1 package (1 pound) Umi Organic yakisoba noodles
2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup almond slivers (unsalted)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Zest from one orange
2 cups green cabbage, mandolined or thinly sliced
2 cups purple cabbage, mandolined or thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced on the bias
2 teaspoons white and black sesame seeds, toasted
4 preserved kumquats, halved
Break your cooked noodles into four or five small sets on a sheet pan, making sure none of the noodles cling to one another (if they do, they’ll also fry that way) and prepare a noodle cooling station on a wire rack with two layers of paper towels near your hot oil. Heat your oil to 350℉ and, using tongs, gently place one batch of noodles into the hot oil. As the noodles cook, move them around with a long chopstick, making sure none of them stick together or to the bottom of the pan. After about two to three minutes, the noodles will turn golden and crisp. Using a steel spider or a pasta fork, remove the noodles from oil and let them cool on the paper towels. Fry all remaining batches and cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. I like making these the day prior to serving so they’re extra crispy and cooled completely, and they’ll keep for up to a week.
Toss sugar, paprika and cumin in a medium saucepan and mix with a wooden spoon. Heat the sugar mixture over medium heat and add almond slivers to the pan. As the sugar heats into syrup, move almonds around the pan and coat each almond completely. Remove almonds from heat and cool on a sheet pan. Store in an airtight container if you’re assembling your salad on another day.
Rub chicken breasts with orange zest and garlic. Place chicken in a sealable glass dish. Dissolve salt in enough warm tap water to cover chicken. Let your chicken breasts rest in the brine for a minimum of thirty minutes but up to two days. When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 450℉ and grease a grill pan (preferred) or sheet pan with a thin layer of cooking oil. Bake on each side for ten minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165℉ and let rest for ten minutes before slicing into ½ inch thick strips.
Dressing
12 oz soft tofu
2 preserved kumquats
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup white miso
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
In a food processor or blender, combine all of the above ingredients and blend until silky and smooth. Transfer dressing to a squeeze bottle.
Now for all your hard work and planning to pay off! In a large bowl, toss both cabbages with strips of chicken, half of your fried noodles, candied almonds, and kumquat halves. Gingerly (because you can always add more dressing but not take away) stripe a layer of dressing over your salad without tossing so it won’t get soggy, and leave yourself a little extra dressing on the side. Garnish with remaining noodles, green onions and sesame seeds.
Kourtney Paranteau (aka CuteMeat) was born and raised in Portland (okay, okay Beaverton), Oregon but spent a sunny stint in Los Angeles, where she ate her way through the San Gabriel Valley. Kourtney returned home to work in the food and beverage industry where she has met nearly all her friends and freelances as a recipe developer. Keanu Reeves' oeuvre plays in the background of every CuteMeat recipe for inspiration etc.
