I first came across this salad in a café in Melbourne that served the most exquisite Vietnamese-inspired dishes. It’s the perfect summer salad and the grapes I consider a nod to the days when Ho Chi Minh City was considered the Paris of the Orient.

SERVES 2

• 2 boneless, skin less chicken breasts
• ½ onion, chopped roughly
• 1 stick lemon grass, smashed
• 2 lime or young lemon leaves
• Salt & pepper
• 50g rice vermicelli – soaked in boiling water until el dente (about 5 minutes) & drained

Dressing

• Juice of two limes
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon grated palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 cup grapes , red or green, halved
• 2 chillies – de-seeded & sliced
• 1 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs – mint, coriander, Vietnamese mint,
• ¼ cup crushed peanuts

Remove the tenderloins from the breasts and set aside. Poach chicken by putting breasts in a pot and covering with water, chopped onion, lime leaves, lemongrass, salt and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer and simmer for 15 minutes (add the tenderloins about half way through). Allow to cool in the stock then remove and slice across the grain into 1 cm slices.

Soak vermicelli in boiling water until soft. Drain well. Set aside.

In a big bowl whisk together dressing ingredients - lime, sesame oil, grated palm sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk. Taste and check for balance of flavours. Add more acid (lime juice), sweetness (sugar) or salt (fish sauce) as required. Add the vermicelli, chicken, chillies and herbs and toss well. Garnish with peanuts and serve.

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