Banana Blossom-Cabbage-Huli Huli Chicken Salad with Kaffir Lime Sauce (serves 6)

Our friend Curt invited us over to for lunch one day.  He made us a huge delicious lunch in his kitchen.  He complained that his kitchen is too small.  I told him that the size of the kitchen is not an indication that there will be good food.  I know plenty of people who cook excellent meals from their non-existent to very tiny kitchens.  Curt has never eaten banana blossom before so I decided to make him this salad.  I harvested the nasturtium flowers, basil leaves and cilantro fresh from his yard. Good company and good food.  Cheers and mahalo Curt!

Banana Blossom-Cabbage-Huli Huli Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 medium size banana blossom (roughly 1-lb), finely shredded (please see How to Prepare a Banana Blossom post)
1/4 medium cabbage, core removed and finely shredded
1/2 of prepared huli huli roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken, shredded
5 nasturtium flowers, garnish (edible)
5 Thai basil or sweet basil leaves, chiffonade
1 sprig of cilantro, chopped
1/4 C roughly crushed Roasted Peanuts
Kaffir lime sauce (recipe follows)

Method:

1) Arrange banana blossom, cabbage, chicken, nasturtium, basil leaves, cilantro, and 1 Tbsp roasted peanuts in a large dish or platter
2) When ready to eat scoop out a portion into a dish, drizzle with kaffir lime sauce to taste and sprinkle more roasted peanuts if interested

Kaffir Lime Sauce (makes approximately 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
4 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Tbsp sugar
2 tsp thinly sliced young kaffir lime leaves
1/8 tsp grated ginger
1 chopped hot chili (optional)
1 slice of kaffir lime, garnish (optional)

Method:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.

kaffir lime sauce

*I made the kaffir lime sauce a little sweeter in taste.  The kaffir lime leaves add a lot of citrus flavor to this sauce.  If you do not have access to fresh kaffir lime leaves you may add 1 tsp lime zest instead.

*If you do not eat meat then you can leave the chicken out of this recipe.  A good substitute for this dish is 1/2 lb to 1 lb of boiled and peeled shrimp.