GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
This tangy, piquant salad is a version of the classic Vietnamese dish, which can be served as a first course, or a fiery side dish next to simple grilled meats or fish. It comes from Chris Shepherd, a Houston chef who is trying to tell the story of his city's food, among the most diverse in the country. If Thai chiles are too hot to bear (or not available), substitute other, milder peppers like serrano or jalapeƱo. Just don't use regular papaya even if it seems unripe; it won't have the right flavor and texture as a true green papaya. And if you can't get green papaya, you can make this with green mango, seeded cucumber, cabbage or kohlrabi. The intense, funky dressing will work with any practically any cooling, crunchy vegetable you've got.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories salads and dressings, appetizer, side dish
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large metal or wooden bowl (not glass), stir together dried shrimp, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, lime and chiles. Using a wooden muddler or pestle (or a wooden spoon), lightly pound the ingredients to bruise and release their flavors.
- Mix shredded papaya and tomatoes into fish sauce mixture, tossing until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then top with chopped peanuts.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 168, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 35 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 1447 milligrams, Sugar 27 grams
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD WITH LIME AND PEPITAS
Steps:
- For the lime vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, mirin, fish sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, lime zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
- For the salad: Add the rice to a dry cast-iron skillet set over medium heat and toast, stirring frequently, until nutty and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Place the rice in a spice grinder and pulse until finely ground (the size of kosher salt). Set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until well charred on the outside, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. (The beans should still be almost raw in the middle so they remain crunchy.) Place the cherry tomatoes in the same pan and lightly char; transfer to the plate with the beans and let cool. Cut the tomatoes in half (it's okay if they get a little smashed), and cut the beans into 2-inch-long pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the green beans, tomatoes, mung beans, red onions, scallions, papayas, Thai bird chiles, red peppers, cucumbers, basil, mint, pepitas, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper. Drizzle with the lime vinaigrette and mix well. Transfer the salad to a large serving platter and garnish with the toasted ground rice (for fragrance and a crunchy texture).
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the string beans and cook for 2 minutes, plunge into cold water. Drain well and cut each bean in half. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice the halves into 1/8-inch strips. Roughly chop all but 2 tablespoons of peanuts. In a bowl toss papaya with the beans, tomatoes, chopped peanuts, fish sauce, lemon and lime juices, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes and 3 tablespoons cilantro. Garnish with remaining peanuts and cilantro.
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
Steps:
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chiles until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to develop the flavors.
- Peel the papaya with a vegetable peeler and then cut off the stem. Halve the papaya lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into quarters, and then use a knife to remove the thin white layer lining the cavity. Using a Japanese Benriner slicer (page 22) or a food processor fitted with the largest shredder blade, shred the papaya pieces. Aim for thin strands about 1/16 inch thick, no more than 3/16 inch wide, and 2 1/2 to 3 inches long (about the size of the shredded mozzarella you put on a pizza.)
- Put the shredded papaya in a colander, add the sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and use both hands to massage the sugar and salt vigorously into the papaya. After a few minutes, the papaya will be a little slimy and limp yet still firm. At that point, rinse it under lots of cold running water to remove the salt and sugar.
- Working in batches, wring out excess moisture from the papaya in a nonterry dish towel: position a mound of the papaya in the center, roll it up in the towel, and then twist the ends in opposite directions to force out the liquid. Do this 3 or 4 times. You want to extract enough water from the papaya yet not completely crush it. Transfer the papaya to a large bowl and fluff it up to release it from its cramped state.
- Fill a small saucepan half full with water, add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the shrimp, remove from the heat, and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the shrimp have curled nicely and are pinkish orange. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool, leaving the water in the pan. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, shred them with your fingers into 1/4-inch pieces. Let the shrimp pieces continue to cool to room temperature and then add them to the bowl containing the papaya.
- While the shrimp are cooling, trim any excess fat from the pork chop. Return the water in the pan to a rolling boil and drop in the pork. When the water starts bubbling at the edges of the pan, remove the pan from the heat and cover tightly. Let stand for 20 minutes. Th e pork should be firm yet still yield a bit to the touch. Remove the pork from the pan. Reserve the light stock for another use or discard. When the pork is cool enough to handle, cut it into matchsticks. Let the pork continue to cool to room temperature and then add it to the shrimp and papaya.
- Just before serving, add the Vietnamese coriander to the salad and toss to distribute evenly. Pour on the dressing and toss again. (If you don't want to bite into a piece of chile unexpectedly, strain the dressing over the salad.) Taste and adjust the flavors to your liking, balancing the sour, sweet, salty, and spicy. Transfer to a serving plate, leaving any unabsorbed dressing behind, and serve.
- notes
- You may ready the papaya, shrimp, and pork a day in advance. Keep them in separate covered containers in the refrigerator, and return them to room temperature before tossing the salad. The dressing may be prepared several hours in advance.
- When I am including this salad in a meal that contains a pork-based dish, I leave out the shredded pork and add more shrimp (use about 3/4 pound total). If papaya isn't available or if you would like a slightly more assertive flavor, use daikon instead. Select young daikons (which have a milder taste) no more than 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
- To make another Vietnamese favorite, substitute sweet-and-spicy Asian beef jerky for the shrimp and pork. Purchase the thin, dark red sheets of jerky, packed in plastic wrap or in boxes, at a Chinese or Vietnamese market. Using scissors, cut about 3 ounces of the jerky into short strips that match the papaya strips; you will have about 3/4 cup. Combine the papaya, jerky, and 1/4 cup shredded fresh Thai basil leaves. Toss the mixture with the same dressing as for the pork and shrimp version, but use a little less, as you will have a slightly smaller amount of salad.
STANLEY'S BEEF CARPACCIO WITH GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
Chef Stanley Wong of TanDa restaurant in New York City finds it easier to freeze the beef tenderloin before slicing it.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Appetizers
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Season beef tenderloin evenly with pepper. In a medium cast-iron skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Add beef tenderloin, and sear 1 minute on each side. Remove from skillet, and bring to room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours.
- In a small dry skillet, toast rice until golden brown. Transfer to a spice grinder, and grind to a fine powder; set aside.
- Using a very sharp knife, slice beef crosswise as thinly as possible. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with rice powder. Serve with green papaya salad.
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