Chicken & Mango Slaw

From the fine folks at Cook's Illustrated. This was the cover recipe that induced me to buy their summer recipes special two years ago.  Boy, am I ever glad I did!  Many of the stand-by recipes included on this blog have their origins in that slim volume.

If you’re planning to store this for leftovers, let the remaining combined slaw drain in a colander for 5-10 min. before putting in the fridge.  Otherwise the excess sauce will make the cabbage soggy by the next day.

Chicken & Mango Slaw  

serves 6

Bring to a boil in a large skillet:

1 c. water

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek

Add 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cover, and simmer over medium low for 10-15 minutes.  Flip the chicken half way through.

Whisk together sauce:

5 tbsp. cream of coconut

5 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek

Combine and toss:

1/2 head green or Napa cabbage, shredded using food processor disk

2 mangoes, sliced thin and bite sized

1/3 c. chopped cilantro

cooked chicken breasts, shredded

sauce

Recommended products:

Cream of coconut is a confusing product name.  It is NOT the same as "coconut cream" (or "coconut milk").  And in my grocery store, it's shelved in a completely different place: it's with the booze mixers, in a bottle more reminiscent of sunscreen than a food product.

Sambal oelek is an Asian chili garlic condiment.  It packs a very spicy punch, so use it sparingly.  Look for it in the Asian section of your grocery store.  I've always seen it in this exact packaging: