Low FODMAP Ghost Chicken

/ peacockdreams

Makes ~4 appetizer sized servings.

A bowl of ghost chicken

China’s Yunnan province borders Myanmar, Laos and Viet Nam. The influence of those cuisines can be seen in Yunnanese cooking. One famous Dai dish from the region is Ghost Chicken (鬼鸡, “gui ji”), which fuses Chinese and South East Asian flavors.

They say Dai people traditionally boil a chicken as part of a ritual to honor the dead. The boiled chicken is then shredded and tossed with aromatics and fresh herbs. When serving the dish, the head and feet of the chicken often appear on the plate.

The list of ingredients that go into this dish can be quite long and difficult to find. Additionally some traditional ingredients like fish mint and culantro can be a bit difficult for the Western palette. Because of those factors, I’ve developed a simplified version that captures the fresh, bold flavors but in a way Westerners are more familiar with. Serve this dish as an appetizer or side dish. This also makes delicious lettuce wraps.

If you really want to, you can make traditional Ghost Chicken by using culantro in place of the Thai Basil and fish mint instead of mint. Both can be found in Vietnamese groceries. However, be warned. These herbs are strongly flavored and can be unpleasant for those not used to them.

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger + 2 slices of ginger
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp cane sugar
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic-infused olive oil
  • 1 tsp Sichuan pepper oil (optional)
  • 6 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 6 tbsp chopped fresh Thai basil
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1.5 tsp thinly sliced bird’s eye chili (optional)
  • sea salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Poach the chicken with 1-2 slices of fresh ginger. Allow to cool. Shred the chicken and set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl combine the ginger, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, garlic-infused olive oil and Sichuan pepper oil. Add the shredded chicken and toss. Add the fresh herbs, bell pepper and bird’s eye pepper and mix until everything is evenly distributed. Taste and season with sea salt.
  3. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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