Smoked Chicken, Korean Carrot, and Egg Salad

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make smoked chicken, Korean carrot, and egg salad? First, decide which kind of Korean carrots you'll use. Store-bought is easier and faster; making your own is tastier and much cheaper. Prepare your ingredients depending on which you choose. I always make this salad with carrots I make myself — and it's simple, taking only 10 minutes. If you don't believe me, just make them once and see for yourself.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel the carrots and grate them on a Korean-carrot grater. If you don't have one, cut thin slices with a vegetable peeler and then cut them into thin strips with a sharp knife. Put them in a bowl, add salt and sugar, and scrunch them with your hands so the carrots release a little juice. Then pour in the vinegar and mix. You can use whatever vinegar you like, but keep in mind that different vinegars have different acidity levels, so be careful. Pile the carrots into a mound and sprinkle the seasoning on top.

3. Step 3:

   

   Heat odorless vegetable oil until very hot (use odorless, or it will drown out all the other flavors). Pour the oil over the spices in a thin stream and stir with a spoon. Add the grated garlic, stir again, and adjust the carrots to taste. I don't have exact proportions for the carrots — I just do it to my own taste. But there are wonderful recipes on our site, and you can pick the one that suits you. Drain off the excess liquid and you're ready to make the salad.

4. Step 4:

   

   Take the bones out of the smoked chicken and remove the skin. When chicken is smoked, the soot settles on the skin, and our bodies have no need for that at all. Cut the meat into strips and add it to the bowl with the carrots.

5. Step 5:

   

   Boil the eggs ahead of time until fully cooked, then cool them. Chop them and add them to the salad bowl — they give the salad a softness. Boil the eggs for no more than 10–13 minutes; that way they cook through but don't turn rubbery. If the eggs are hard to peel, crack the shell and hold them in cold boiled water for a bit. The water seeps in under the membrane and the shell comes off without trouble.

6. Step 6:

   

   Mix the salad well. It's quite ready in this form, of course, but it's missing a fresh note.

7. Step 7:

   

   So wash the cucumber, cut it into thin strips, and add it to the salad bowl.

8. Step 8:

   

   Mix the salad and add the mayonnaise. Instead of mayonnaise you can use sour cream or plain yogurt, which is of course much healthier.

9. Step 9:

   

   Arrange the salad on plates and serve. Enjoy.