I once took salad for 75 people to a duplicate bridge club (separated into several huge plastic bags) and tossed it there. BIG HIT! **
Chinese Chicken Salad
1 iceberg lettuce ~ shredded (or chiffonade cut)
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ~ cooked and shredded
3-5 green onions ~ chopped (thinly slice the white ends horizontally)
2-3 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (optional)
1-2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 TB chopped cilantro
1/2 pkg. rice sticks (maifun ~ Asian aisle at grocery store)
vegetable oil (to fill large pot about 4” high ~ to make maifun)
Dressing:
You can use Girard’s Chinese Chicken Salad or Original Dressing ~ OR make your own:
1/4 cup peanut or light olive oil …………… 2 TB soy sauce
3 TB rice vinegar* ……………………………. 1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp granulated sugar ……………………. Kosher salt to taste
Shake all dressing ingredients together in a jar
Salad:
First, simmer the chicken breasts in water (to cover) with 1-2 tsp of ground ginger about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Take out chicken and chop or shred it ~ set aside. (Refrigerate broth to use in soup another day).
***
Put about 4” of vegetable oil into a large pot on high and get it very hot. Put small handfuls of dried rice sticks (maifun) in at a time. It will instantly turn white and puff up ~ with slotted spoon, turn it over and let the other side puff up. Take out immediately and drain on paper towels. Repeat with rest of maifun. (Test the oil by putting in a tiny piece of maifun ~ if it doesn’t puff up, the oil isn’t hot enough yet).
Toss together all salad ingredients with the maifun and dressing and serve. Garnish with won ton wrappers and cilantro. Serves 4-6
NOTE: If you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to fuss with frying maifun, you could use 1-2 cans of Rice Noodles (near those chow mein noodles, but a smaller can). It won’t be quite as good, but easier.