The Chinois Chicken

DEAR SOS: The best Chinese chicken salad is at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main in Santa Monica. Is it possible to obtain the recipe from Mr. Puck?

ALLEN KARDELL

Palos Verdes

DEAR ALLEN: Anything is possible.

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Chinois Chicken Salad

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Chinese mustard can be found in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets.

CHINESE MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1 egg yolk

3 teaspoons Chinese mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons light sesame oil

1/2 cup rice vinegar

3 to 4 tablespoons peanut oil

Salt, pepper

Blend together the egg yolk, mustard, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, peanut oil and salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Store in the refrigerator while you make the salad.

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CHICKEN SALAD

Oil

10 won ton skins, cut into 1-inch strips

1 small head nappa cabbage

1 (3-pound) roast chicken

2 small heads radicchio, cut into thin strips

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Pour enough oil in a skillet to reach a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the won ton skins until golden, 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Select 4 to 8 outer leaves from the cabbage and reserve. Slice the remaining cabbage into thin strips.

Remove the skin from the breasts and thighs of the chicken and shred the meat. Combine the chicken, cabbage and radicchio in a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

Arrange the reserved cabbage leaves on the edge of a large serving plate. Mound the salad in the center and sprinkle it with the sesame seeds and wonton skins.

6 servings. Each serving: 465 calories; 361 mg sodium; 133 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 37 grams protein; 1.66 grams fiber.

Note: Although many recipes call for uncooked eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found them to be a potential carrier of food-borne illness and recommends that infants, the elderly and immuno-compromised people avoid raw eggs.