CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD Serves 6 to 8
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MARINADE
2 Tb Five Spice powder
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tb soy sauce
3 Tb sherry

DRESSING
1/2 cup honey,
1 Tb salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cup corn oil
1/4 cup sesamee oil
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

OTHER STUFF
2 whole chicken breasts (large), halved
2 heads thinly chopped clean and very dry romaine or iceberg lettuce
1/2 package rice sticks (3 1/2 oz.)
4 slivered green onions, white part only. Cut them into 2-inch lengths halved lengthwise, then halved lengthwise again.
1/4 cup finely chopped toasted cashews (these must be chopped by hand)
3 Tb toasted sesame seeds
8 sprigs cilantro

Step 1: Marinate the chicken
Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade and place in a plastic bag with the chicken breasts. Tightly seal the top and shake bag to thoroughly coat breasts. Refrigerate overnight, making sure the marinade covers all the chicken.

Step 2: Cook the chicken and the skin
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, then turn oven to 450 degrees for another 10 minutes. Brush chicken breasts with marinade several times during the baking. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and place it in a pan. Bake the skin for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, until very crispy and dark brown. Cool, then place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with.the steel S-blade and process until ground thoroughly. Set aside.

Step 3: Cut the chicken
Remove meat from bones, cool, and with a sharp knife cut against the grain into bite-sized strips. Toss with skin.

Step 4: Make the dressing
Mix all the ingredients together either briskly with a whisk or in the bowl of a food processor.

Step 5: Fry the rice sticks
Heat 6 cups corn oil over medium heat in a 6-quart pan that's at least 6 inches deep until a tiny piece of rice stick explodes when dropped into the oil. Break rice sticks in half lengthwise; place half of the rice sticks into the oil; they will puff instantly. Remove with a large slotted spoon immediately and drain on paper towels. Repeat. It's important to fry the noodles as close to serving time as possible. Do not overcrowd the oil; the rice sticks expand enormously.

Step 6: Assemble
In one bowl, toss lettuce with about ? of the dressing. In another, mix the chicken and cashews with remaining dressing. Place lettuce on plates, leaving a border around the outside edge of the plate, about 1 inch. Put a nest of noodles on lettuce, then dressed chicken and cashews. Sprinkle sesame seeds along edge of lettuce and green onions on top. Garnish with cilantro.

This dish is lovely with an edible flower as another garnish for example a nasturtiurm or borage.