From Sea to shore
Before coming to Hong Kong, Liz Seaton spent five years working on private yachts in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean - all for the love of cooking. Compared to the galleys on yachts, Hong Kong kitchens don't seem that small to Seaton, who runs the month-old Gingers catering company. Originally from Edinburgh, where she trained as a chef, Seaton has been living in Hong Kong for almost 10 years. At her home in Kennedy Town, she makes a simple dish of ginger chicken salad with water chestnuts.
Ginger chicken salad with water chestnuts
Ingredients
1 whole roasted chicken (Seaton recommends the ones from Oliver's in the Prince's Building)
1 cup of water chestnuts
15cm piece of ginger
1 bunch of spring onions
1 small bunch of fresh coriander
1/2 cup of cashews
1 fresh chilli
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup of sour cream
2 tbs of fresh lemon juice
Watercress
Method
Step 1: Remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred.
Step 2: Wash water chestnuts under running water. Using a sharp paring knife, peel the water chestnuts, cut into quarters, then rinse again (you can also sometimes buy them peeled in the wet markets).
Step 3: Chop the spring onions and coriander. Roughly chop the cashews. Remove the seeds from the chilli and finely mince.
Step 4: Toss together the chicken, ginger, spring onions, coriander, chilli and water chestnuts. Mix mayonnaise with sour cream and lemon juice, then fold into the dry ingredients. Chill for up to two hours in the fridge, and toss in cashews just before serving. Serve with watercress and fresh crusty bread.
With this salad, Seaton recommends serving the Seresin Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2000 from New Zealand.
