Vietnamese Mango and Chicken Salad

Directions

1. Place an oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler, and preheat the broiler to 400º F. Pat the chicken breasts dry and coat them with peanut oil. Place them onto a broiler pan. Broil on one side for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Flip and broil on the other side for an additional 4 to 8 minutes, until the internal temperature at the thickest part is 160 to 165º F. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate, and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Set up a bowl of ice water near the sink, making sure a strainer will nest in it. Add the salt to 1 quart of water and bring to a boil in a wide-rimmed saucepan. Place the mint, basil, and rau ram into a stainer and place the strainer into the boiling water, making sure all of the leaves are submerged. After 15 seconds, drain the herbs into the strainer and transfer the strainer to the ice bath. After a few seconds, remove the strainer from the ice bath and squeeze the excess water from the herbs. Mince the herbs and place them in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and mix well. Set the bowl aside.
3. Start to make the dressing. In a small bowl that fits your strainer, combine the shallot, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chile, black pepper, and salt. Set strainer over the bowl. Supreme the grapefruit into the strainer, so you catch the juice. Squeeze the membrane to extract as much juice as possible. Set aside.
4. Prepare the rest of your salad. Using a sharp paring knife, peel your mangoes. Use either a julienne peeler (preferred) or the large holes on your box grater to carefully remove the flesh from the mango. Julienne or grate the mango into the medium bowl with the herb mixture. Toss with a fork to thoroughly mix. Add the grapefruit segments, but don't toss yet.
5. Whisk the dressing and taste for balance—it should be mildly tangy, just a bit sweet, and fairly salty. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into a small bowl. Add the dressing to the chicken and toss well to coat.
6. Dump the chicken and dressing into the mango-herb mixture. Toss well to combine. Break the grapefruit up into chunks as you mix. Allow the salad to rest for at least 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour, to allow the flavors to meld together. When ready to serve, taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Add about half of the chopped peanuts and mix well. If adding additional herbs as garnish, chiffonade the desired combination of the mint, basil, and rau ram. Plate the salad, and garnish with the remaining peanuts and herbs.