Recipes

Phuket Style Pineapple Salad

Yum Saparot Phuket

Pineapple, shrimp, and chicken salad with a smoky tamarind chili dressing, served in a pineapple bowl

Prep

30 min

Cook

10 min

Serves

4

Heat

medium

This salad is as much presentation as flavor, traditionally served hollowed out of a whole pineapple with the sliced-off top set alongside as a lid. Underneath the showmanship is a well-balanced dressing built on smoky roasted chili sauce, tart tamarind, and lime, tying together shredded poached chicken, quickly boiled shrimp, and sweet pineapple chunks. Toasted coconut and peanuts scattered through the mix add crunch, and a final scatter of crispy fried shallots on top brings a last layer of texture and flavor to a dish that reads as much like a centerpiece as a salad.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Pineapple, whole (with stem and top if possible, for serving as a bowl)
• 24 Shrimp (prawn)
• 1 1/3 cups Chicken breast meat
• 7 tablespoons Raw peanuts (toasted)
• 5 1/3 tablespoons Shredded coconut (toasted)
• 5 1/3 tablespoons Dried shrimp (roughly ground)
• 7 Green onions, large (chopped)
• 12 Red shallots (thinly and evenly sliced, for frying)
• 12 Lettuce leaves (for the pineapple bowl)
• 5 1/3 teaspoons Thai roasted chili sauce (nam prik pao)
• 2 2/3 tablespoons Tamarind paste
• 2 2/3 tablespoons Coconut sugar (dissolved in a little water)
• 5 1/3 teaspoons Fish sauce
• 7 teaspoons Fresh lime juice (to taste)

Directions

1. Toast the shredded coconut in a small dry pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until evenly light golden brown.
2. Clean the pan and toast the raw peanuts over medium heat, turning often, until browned in spots.
3. Peel and slice the shallots thin and evenly, about 1/8 inch thick. Heat about 1/4 cup of oil in a clean dry pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Fry the shallots for about a minute, stirring constantly, until just starting to brown — as soon as the bubbling slows, remove promptly to a paper towel to drain.
4. Cut the chicken into strips and boil in plain water for about 5 minutes, until fully cooked. Once cool enough to handle, tear into small shreds.
5. Bring fresh water to a hard boil and add the shrimp. Cook until curled and pink, usually under a minute. Remove immediately to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
6. If serving in a pineapple bowl, lay the pineapple flat, choose the stable side, and slice off the top to open it. Cut a wedge around the inside at an angle and pull it out, then scoop the rest of the flesh until hollow. Cut the removed flesh into bite-sized pieces for the salad, saving any extra for another use.
7. Dissolve the coconut sugar in a splash of water, warming briefly if needed, and stir into a thick syrup.
8. Grind the toasted peanuts until chunky. Grind the dried shrimp lightly until flaky on the outside. Chop the green onion and squeeze the lime juice.
9. In a large bowl, combine the sugar syrup, fish sauce, roasted chili sauce, tamarind paste, and about half the lime juice. Taste and add more lime, fish sauce, or sugar until balanced.
10. Stir the shredded chicken, shrimp, and pineapple into the dressing until well coated. Add the toasted coconut, peanuts, dried shrimp, and green onion, tossing everything together.
11. Arrange in the pineapple bowl or on a plate. Tuck lettuce leaves in on one side and sprinkle the fried shallots over the top.
12. Serve on a platter, with the pineapple's top set alongside as a lid.

Notes

Shock the shrimp in ice water the moment they're done boiling — they cook in under a minute, and even a few extra seconds toughens them.

Substitutions

Unsweetened canned pineapple works if fresh isn't available. Cashews can stand in for peanuts.