Vietnamese Herb And Salad Plate Recipes

Steps:

• Arrange salad bar ingredients in serving dishes and bowls as you prep them: romaine, baby mixed greens, bean sprouts, daikon radishes, carrots, scallions, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, mint leaves, basil leaves, nuts and sweet almond or anise "croutons".
• Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.
• Combine soy and oil in a shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Drizzle fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken 3 minutes on each side. Cut chicken into strips on an angle and pile onto a serving plate. Grill fish 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until opaque. Squeeze lime over the fish and break into chunks as you transfer it to a serving plate.
• Combine all ingredients, except oil, for peanut dressing in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds, then open lid and continue dressing by streaming in oil. Transfer dressing to a serving dish and sprinkle the dressing with a spoonful of nuts from your salad bar to garnish the dish.
• For garlic dressing, whisk vinegar, jelly, garlic, black pepper and chili oil together. Stream in vegetable oil while continuing to whisk. When the oil is incorporated, transfer dressing to a small dish to serve.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and chiles. Set dressing aside.
• In a large serving bowl, combine mint, basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, onion, celery, and cashews. Set aside.
• In a 4-qt. pot about 10 inches in diameter, heat vegetable oil until it registers 360° on a candy thermometer.
• While oil is heating, slice calamari tubes into 1/2-3/4" rings.
• Put in a small bowl with tentacles. Set aside.
• In another small bowl, combine all-purpose flour, rice flour, 1 teaspoons salt, and the cayenne.
• Drop the calamari pieces into the flour mixture, turning to coat well.
• Working in 3 batches, fry squid 3 to 5 minutes per batch, or until pieces are light brown.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer fried calamari to a large plate lined with several folded paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt to taste.
• Allow oil temperature to return to 360° between batches.
• Add the warm calamari to the herb-cashew mixture and pour half of the dressing over it.
• Toss gently just until coated.
• Serve salad immediately, with remaining dressing on the side.