Thai Yum Saam Sahai

Three Friends in one salad

I thought I had tried pretty much all kinds of yam salads in the meantime, but with the “Yum Saam Sahai” (ยำสามสหาย) I discovered a new variation. The name of the salad can be translated as “three friends salad”, meaning pork, chicken and shrimp.

But don not mit that up with the mixture of garlic, black pepper and coriander root, which is also known as “three best friends” in Thai cuisine. As with all kinds of yum salads it is quick to prepare and the result is an explosion of flavor.

Ingredients für 2-3 Portions

  • 200g pork (e.g. topside)
  • 3 boneless chicken drumsticks (Pollo Fino)
  • 8 king prawns
  • a handful of cashew nuts
  • 4 tbsp fish sauce
  • juice of one lime
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 Thai chilies
  • One shallot
  • 4-5 stems mint
  • some large, green lettuce leaves
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

First, clean the boneless chicken drumsticks briefly and then pat them dry. Then heat the vegetable oil in a wok or pan and sear the chicken drumsticks on all sides until the skin becomes crispy.

Next take the wok off the heat, remove the drumsticks and let them cool down a little. They don’t have to be completely cooked after this process, as they will be seared again later. For this reason, leave the oil in the wok.

In the meantime, cut the pork into thin strips and roughly crush the cashews in a mortar. If you are using frozen shrimp, this would also be a good time to defrost them in warm water.

Now put the wok back on the stove and fry the pork strips in it. At the same time, cut the Pollo Fino legs into strips, then add them to the pork in the wok and fry both together until golden brown. When the meat is cooked, take it out of the wok and put it in a tall bowl.

Now fry the prawns in the remaining oil in the wok until they change color. Then deglaze the prawns with a little water and leave them to simmer for a short time until they are completely cooked. However, they should not stay in the water for too long so that they do not become tough. Then put the prawns in the bowl with the meat.

Next, cut the Thai chilies into fine rings and peel the shallot and cut it into fine rings. Then tear the mint leaves from their stems and, depending on their size, tear them a little more. Then add all three ingredients to the three friends in the bowl.

Now squeeze the lime, mix its juice with the fish sauce and dissolve the palm sugar completely in this sauce. Then add the resulting salad dressing to the bowl and mix the entire contents well so that the liquid can be evenly distributed.

Finally, wash the large lettuce leaves briefly, drain them and spread them out in a flat bowl. Then spread the mixed Yum Saam Sahai on the lettuce leaves and serve lukewarm as a starter or together with other Thai dishes.

Tried this recipe?

Then take a nice picture of your creation and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #derReiskoch and mention my account @der.reiskoch. I’m excited to see your picture!