Sam's Kitchen

An old favourite of mine, this spicy salad will make a brilliant addition to any summer menu.

Flavoursome, it is bursting with invigorating flavours of lime, ginger and mint. Play around with it, make it with  grilled squid or seafood of your choice.

Serves 2 as a main or 4-6 as a side or a starter

Ingredients

For the marinade

300g steak ( I used porterhouse )
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp grated or minced ginger
1 clove garlic crushed ( minced )

For the salad

Bowl of fresh salad leaves or lettuce of the choice
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves ( cilantro leaves )
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 cucumber peeled, sliced
2 small stalks celery julienned
1 carrot julienned
1 shallot thinly sliced (optional)
2 tbsp pine nuts lightly toasted

For the spicy sauce

1 red chilli washed stalk removed
1/2 cup roughly chopped coriander s(tems and roots included)
1-inch fresh ginger peeled
1 clove garlic peeled
2-4 kaffir lime leafs
1 1/2 lime juice or to taste
1-2 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1/2 tsp brown sugar

Method

1. Mix the marinade ingretients together, then rub steak with the marinade, palce steak into a bowl cover and set aside.
2. In the meantime prepare the spicy sauce by processing sauce ingredients in a food processor. Move into a small bowl and set aside.
3. Prepare salad ingredients. Place lettuce leaves in the bottom of a salad bowl or a large plate and set aside.
4. Grill steak on high 4 minutes each side for medium-rare or until done to your liking.  Set aside to rest for a minute or two.
5. Thinly slice the steak and arrange salad by layering all ingredients. Top with toasted pine nuts. Dress with spicy sauce and enjoy.