Spicy Chicken Thighs With Cucumber And Cashew Salad

  • Prep time
  • Serves 4
chicken thigh salad with cucumber and salad

Ingredients

  • for SPICY CHICKEN THIGHS
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 large red chillies, finely minced
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • for CUCUMBER AND CASHEW SALAD
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 200g/7oz vermicelli noodles
  • 2 cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced
  • Small handful fresh mint leaves
  • 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp cashew nuts, crushed

for spicy chicken thighs

  1. Whisk the fish sauce, pepper, garlic, chillies and sugar in a bowl.
  2. Put the chicken in a separate bowl and pour over half the marinade.
  3. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes (keep the rest of the marinade on one side).
  4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  5. Add the chicken, in two batches, and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through. (Sometimes I put another frying pan on top of the chicken and weigh it down with a couple of tins to make the chicken really crisp).

for cucumber and cashew salad

  1. While the chicken is cooking, add the lime juice and sugar to the marinade that you set aside.
  2. Stir until the sugar has dissolved to make a dressing.
  3. Pour boiling water over the vermicelli and leave for a minute or so until soft.
  4. Drain under cold water, place in a large bowl and add the cucumber, mint, spring onions and cashews.
  5. Add the dressing and toss well.

To serve

  1. Pile the salad onto the plate then slice the chicken and place alongside.