 |
| Gado-gado |
Sure, you can refer to gado-gado as a “salad,” but only if you define salad as “colorful extravaganza of flavor explosions.”
Translated as “mix-mix”, gado-gado is a popular Indonesian one-plate meal. It combines raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and a luscious peanut or cashew butter dressing topped with crispy fried shallots and ginger. While the vegetables are delicious, the true appeal of the dish is the dressing, a contrast of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy flavors. Truth: this dressing could make even shredded newspaper taste like a delicacy.
you can make it....
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 serrano chile pepper, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seed or cashew butter
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (omit for Whole30)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried shrimp (or 1 anchovy)
Vegetables: Your choice of…
steamed broccoli
steamed carrots
steamed spinach
steamed green beans
steamed cauliflower
steamed cabbage
raw cucumber
raw lettuce
raw tomato
raw celery
boiled potatoes
Pan-Crisped Chicken:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and ground black pepper
Toppings:
4 hard-boiled eggs
crispy shallots
fried ginger
sliced raw scallions
To make the dressing :
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt. Add the garlic and chile pepper to the pan and stir-fry until golden and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Place the garlic and chile pepper in a blender or food processor. Add the sunflower seed butter, coconut milk, hot water, lime juice, coconut aminos, coconut sugar, salt, and dried shrimp. Purée until smooth, adding more water if the sauce is too thick. Transfer dressing to a small saucepan and keep warm until it’s time to eat. The dressing can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days; just reheat before adding to the salad.
To make the chicken :
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan in a single layer, leaving some wiggle room around the pieces. (You may have to do this in two batches.) Place a smaller pan on top of the chicken so the chicken is pressed down into the fat and cook, undisturbed, for 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and repeat on the other side. Set the cooked chicken aside until cook enough to handle, then cut into thin slices.
To make the crispy shallots and fried ginger :
Cook each separately but follow the same instructions. Slice the vegetable very thinly and toss with 1 tablespoons arrowroot powder or baking soda until lightly coated. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil and allow it to melt. Add the vegetable in a single layer and stir-fry until golden brown and beginning to get crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain; they’ll get crispier as they cool. If you make these in advance and they get soft in the refrigerator, you can re-crisp them on a baking sheet in a 300F oven for a few minutes.
 |
| Gado-gado (finish) |
Assemble the salad :
The salad should be served at room temperature; the dressing should be warm. Arrange the vegetables, chicken, and hard-boiled eggs on a serving plate. Drizzle with the dressing, and pass small bowls of the crispy shallots, fried ginger, and raw scallions so everyone can garnish their own plate.
