Vietnamese Coleslaw With Shredded Chicken And Peanuts

To Make Chicken: In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan, bring the water to boil over high heat. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer (the liquid should bubble just enough to break the surface) and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the chicken stand, uncovered, in the liquid until cool enough to handle, or up to 1 hour. (At this point, the chicken will be very nearly cooked through and will finish the last bit of cooking in the hot liquid. It will also keep moist until ready to serve.)

Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and pull it apart with your fingers, or slice it into shreds.

To Make Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine lime juice, fish sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and chilies. Stir well, until the sugar is dissolved and the dressing is well-blended.

To Make Coleslaw: Mix the sliced onion into the dressing to marinate and soften a bit.

Meanwhile, put the sesame seeds in a small skillet and toast over medium-low heat, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Combine the shredded chicken, cabbage, carrots, mint, cilantro and Vietnamese coriander in a large serving bowl. Remove the sliced onion from the dressing and add it to the bowl. Season with black pepper; add the peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.

Toss the coleslaw with the dressing until well-coated. Serve immediately.

Note: If you are in a hurry, you can use packaged coleslaw mix. You can also make this using leftover cooked chicken.