Epitourists continued the Masterclass theme that we've enjoyed these past few months. Gordon Ramsay was the inspiration, and my Elevated Home Recipes pick was Hoisin Glazed Crispy Shredded Chicken Salad, Pickled Daikon, and Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.
This dish was fun to eat, because you tear the lettuce leaf and then wrap the chicken and pickles for casual bites you can eat with your hands.
Part of our ongoing Epi challenge is to try something new. I have always avoided deep frying anything at home, for both dietary health and home safety reasons. The lecture demonstrated a shallow frying technique and explained how to control temperature. Now, I have added a new technique to my repertoire.
I made this twice. The first time I managed to maintain the temperature of the oil much better for even results; unfortunately the second time round the chicken was a tad too crispy. The major mistake I made the second time around was speeding ahead without consulting the recipe and mistakenly adding the hoisin sauce to the chicken before frying. Even when coated generously with the cornstarch and rice flour it was too gloopy and ended up a bit burnt. My Epi buddies were kind enough not to let me know if they noticed.
Rob assisted with the prep by pickling the ginger and white turnip (substituted for daikon). These bright flavours held their own and added a welcome acidic note for contrast.
I also had to check out the best way to deliver the different salad components so Epis could assemble and plate at home. Pickles were easy: toss them and their liquids in a jar. The chicken was transported in carryout tins, wrapped first in paper towels and plenty of holes punched in the lid. Reheated in a pan or in the oven to keep it from getting soggy.
I used a mix of living butter lettuce and baby gem romaine for individual servings. You take each mini-head and peel the leaves down to create a flower for presentation.
I would definitely make this recipe again, and I think deep frying is a nice touch. Even better when it can be served while it it still hot.
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