Hip to dip: Spicy chicken nuggets with ginger, lime and pepper dipping sauce
SERVES 4
DIPPING SAUCE
3 cloves garlic crushed
5cm piece ginger very finely chopped or grated
2 red chillies deseeded and finely sliced
3 tbsp golden caster sugar
8 tbsp lime juice
4½ tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp roughly crushed black pepper
NUGGETS
4 skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
vegetable oil for frying
SALAD
½ large or 1 small green (or unripe) papaya peeled and finely shredded
handful mint leaves
handful Thai basil leaves
TO FINISH
cucumber slices and lettuce leaves to serve
■ Combine the dipping sauce ingredients, stir until the sugar has fully dissolved and set aside. Tumble the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the dipping sauce and the sugar. Leave to marinate for about 30 minutes.
■ Toss the salad ingredients with 2 tablespoons of the dipping sauce.
■ Heat a shallow pool of oil in a wok. Fry the chicken nuggets in batches, until cooked through and to your liking, draining each batch on kitchen paper. Add any leftover marinade to the wok to bubble for 2 minutes, then pour over the chicken. Serve with the papaya salad and the remaining dipping sauce with cucumber and lettuce alongside.
ADDED AROMATICS If you can source fresh green peppercorns, crush and add a few to the dipping sauce and use a sprig or two to decorate the finished dish.