A Sichuan street classic: poached chicken fibers smacked and coated in a creamy, fragrant, and spicy sauce. Served cold on a bed of crisp cucumber, it is a perfect balance of freshness and heat.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Chicken thighs
- 2 l Water
- 4 pieces Scallion
- 1 piece Fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 50 g Unsalted peanuts
- 1 piece Cucumber
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 3 tbsp Pure sesame paste
- 3 tbsp Hot water
- 3 tbsp Soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Black rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
- 4 tbsp Sichuan chili oil
Method
- In a pot, place the chicken pieces and cover with cold water. Add the scallion sections, ginger slices, and rice wine. Bring to a simmer, skim, then gently poach over very low heat until the meat is tender to the core. Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool directly in its broth to keep it moist.
- Meanwhile, toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until they release their lemony aroma, then pound them finely in a mortar.
- Toast the peanuts in a dry skillet until golden, let cool slightly, then coarsely crush them.
- Finely slice the remaining scallion and mince the garlic. Julienne the cucumber and arrange it as a bed at the bottom of a deep serving dish.
- Remove the cooled chicken from the broth. Using a rolling pin, smack the meat to shred it into thick fibers; this allows the sauce to penetrate well.
- In a bowl, thin the sesame paste with the hot water to obtain a smooth texture.
- Add the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil, chili oil, and ground Sichuan pepper. Stir vigorously until you have a thick and glossy sauce.
- Distribute the chicken fibers over the bed of cucumber.
- Generously coat the chicken with the sauce, then sprinkle with the crushed peanuts and sliced scallion. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 382.7 kcal
- Protein
- 11.5 g
- Carbohydrate
- 9.59 g
- Fat
- 32.94 g
- Fibre
- 4.51 g
- Calcium
- 41.22 mg
- Iron
- 0.96 mg
- Magnesium
- 41.52 mg
