The Hanoi Masters, featuring recording artists who survived the Vietnam War, play traditional instruments, with their songs reflecting the scars left on their country by the war era (read interview here).

As well as performing in Botanic Park during WOMADelaide, they will swap their instruments for cooking utensils to take part in the Taste the World program in the Speaker’s Corner on Monday, March 13.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Ingredients

400g chicken thigh or maryland
4cm fresh ginger, sliced
3 shallots
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 big white onion
1 medium-size carrot
1 cup white vinegar (preferably coconut or rice vinegar)
3-4 Thai lemon leaves (or kaffir lime leaves)
1 bunch of Vietnamese coriander (sometimes sold as rau ram or Vietnamese mint)*|
Roasted unsalted peanuts

Sauce

1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar (preferably coconut or rice vinegar)
1 juicy lemon or lime
Ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Method

Boil the chicken with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, sliced ginger and shallots.

After the chicken is cooked, wait for the meat cool down then use your hands to shred it into thin, long pieces.

Cut the white onion into pinky-sized pieces (6cm) and put into cold water mixed with 1 cup of vinegar for 30 minutes.  Take it out and let it dry.

Cut the Thai lemon leaves (kaffir lime leaves) into very thin strings.

Shred the carrot into thin strings and put aside.

Mix the following ingredients together to create the sauce: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt.

Mix the chicken, carrot, and onion together.  Pour the sauce onto this and mix.  Mix in the Vietnamese coriander and Thai lemon leaves.

Put everything on a plate and sprinkle the dry peanuts on top of the meat and everything is ready to serve!

* This is the key ingredient for the salad. It should be easy to find in a Vietnamese grocery store.