Thai-inspired Green Apple Salad

Ingredients

• 2 medium-size green apple (I used Granny Smith)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 large red chili (seeded and cut into strips)
• 4 Tbsp dried anchovies
• 4 Tbsp roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted)
• 1/4 cup Cooking oil
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 8 kaffir lime leaves (fresh/frozen, divided)
• 1 small red onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Mint leaves
• 2 red bird's eye chilies (chopped, more if you want it spicier)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp chopped coriander stems
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt (or more as needed)
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prepare dressing: ---

2. 2

   Place the chilies, coriander stems, minced garlic in a mortar and use a pestle to pound it into a paste-like consistency. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a mini food processor or blender. It won't work for large equipment because the quantity is too small. Alternatively, you can put them in a ziploc bag and pound them with heavy object or use a rolling pin to smash them

3. 3

   Add the salt, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. It should be sour, spicy, and savory. Cover and keep this in the fridge for up to one week

4. 4

   --- Prepare the aromatics: ---

5. 5

   Remove the outer husks and the woody top halves. Use a sharp knife to slice them thinly

6. 6

   Thinly sliced the red onion

7. 7

   Use kitchen shears to cut 3 lime leaves into thin strips. Remove the tough vein in the center of each leaf. Reserve the other 5 leaves for frying

8. 8

   --- Pan fry the anchovies, peanuts, and kaffir lime leaves: ---

9. 9

   Heat up about 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. When you put a skewer in a oil and the oil bubbles around it, the oil is ready. Add the dried anchovies and fry over medium heat until they turn golden brown and crispy. This happens quickly, about 10-15 seconds. Remove and put them on an absorbent paper towel

10. 10

    You can also fry the peanuts briefly in a oil until golden brown, about 10-15 seconds. Usually skin-on peanuts are used. I use store-bought unsalted roasted peanuts that don't have the skin anymore

11. 11

    Using the same oil, fry the lime leaves until crispy, again, another 10-15 seconds. If you use fresh lime leaves, the color should be bright green. I use previously frozen lime leaves and when you fry them, they turn brown and won't have that bright green color, but they are still crispy

12. 12

    --- Prepare the apples: ---

13. 13

    Put about 2 cups of cold water in a large mixing bowl. Add juice of 1 lime. This is to soak the cut apples briefly to prevent them from turning brown later

14. 14

    Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into quarters and then cut into 1/4 inch slices and then into long strands, about 1/4-inch thick. You can also use a mandolin slicer with 1/4-inch teeth to cut into long thin strands.

15. 15

    Place the cut apples in the lime water and continue to cut the rest of the apples

16. 16

    --- Assembling: ---

17. 17

    Drain off the soaking water and remove the apple to a large mixing bowl.

18. 18

    Add the aromatics (except for the fried lime leaves), chili strips, and peanuts. You can prepare ahead up to this point. Cover and keep them chilled in the fridge.

19. 19

    --- When ready to serve: ---

20. 20

    Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine them evenly. Sprinkle the crispy anchovies on top and toss again. My kids like crispy anchovies sprinkle on top without being tossed together with the salad to maintain the crispiness of the anchovies.

21. 21

    Portion into individual serving plate and serve immediately. Sprinkle with fried lime leaves, crispy anchovies on top if you didn't toss them with the salad in the earlier step