Asian Chicken and Pasta Salad

Place the chicken breasts in a large shallow pan and pour over enough water to cover them. Add the lemon or lime slices and the rice wine or sherry, and heat until just simmering. Reduce the heat and poach the chicken for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the heat and cover the pan, then leave the chicken to cool completely in the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water for about 10–12 minutes, or according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Set the pasta aside until cool. Place the carrot, red pepper, celery and cucumber in a large salad bowl. To make the dressing, mix together the fish sauce and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then add the vinegar, soy sauce, chili and garlic. Pour the dressing over the raw salad vegetables. Drain the cooled chicken and pat dry on paper towel, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Stir the chicken and pasta into the dressed vegetables. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Bring the salad to room temperature before serving.