Vietnamese Chicken Salad

• 3 chicken breasts (about 200g/7oz each, or use left-over cooked chicken)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• sea salt
• fresh ground white pepper (black pepper is okay if that's all you have)
• 90 g bean sprouts
• 20 g vietnamese mint leaves, left whole (ordinary mint is okay if that's all you can get)
• 50 g asian basil leaves, left whole
• 180 g Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
• 90 g carrots, peeled and finely julienned
• 60 ml lime juice
• 60 ml fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (available in most supermarkets or Asian stores)
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped (optional)
• 3 red asian shallots or 12 red onion, finely sliced
• 2 small red chilies, very finely chopped (remove the seeds if you don't like it too hot)

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 (if you are using left-over cooked chicken omit steps 1 - 3).
2. Heat a frying pan over a high heat, and while the pan is heating, brush the chicken breasts with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and sear for two minutes, turn and sear for another minute.
4. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
5. When it's cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
6. Shred the cooked chicken into thin strips with your hands and place in a large bowl.
7. Add all the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
8. To make the Vietnamese dressing, place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
9. Pour the dressing over the chicken salad and toss well to combine.
10. Serve.

chicken breasts, vegetable oil, salt, fresh ground white pepper, bean sprouts, mint, asian basil, chinese cabbage, carrots, lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, caster sugar, garlic, red asian shallots, red chilies

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/vietnamese-chicken-salad-255935 (may not work)