dixie's chinese chicken salad

my mom has made this salad for as long as i can remember and it's always been one of my favorites. the dressing is so yummy and it's fun to fry the rice noodles. i think that was such an 80's thing, remember that scene in mr. mom? too funny. we always called them styrofoam noodles because when they are cooked they have that puffy, fragile feel. look for noodles that are just rice and water, as they have lots of different names - rice vermicelli and mai fun are the most common ones.

1 pack rice noodles

2 shredded chicken breasts

head of iceberg lettuce, chopped

oil for frying

dressing: combine all and mix well

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

to fry the noodles, heat canola oil 2 - 3 inches deep. to test if the oil is hot enough, throw in small pieces of the noodles. when they expand and float to the top IMMEDIATELY, the oil is hot enough. put noodles in the oil in batches. turn it to make sure all the noodles on the top are cooked. drain on paper towels. combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the dressing on top. mix well - the noodles will break and shrink and it will eventually all fit in the bowl! enjoy!

size before frying

size after frying