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Sichuan-Style Cold Poached Chicken with Double Sesame Sauce
Fuchsia Dunlop, London-based cookbook author and expert in Chinese cuisine, taught us how to make Sichuan poached chicken, which is served chilled and dressed with various sauces. One of our favorites was bang bang ji, a sauce made of sesame paste, soy, chili oil, tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorns, plus sugar and Chinese black vinegar. The flavors were perfectly balanced, the ingredients coalescing into a superbly delicious chicken salad. This is our spin on her recipe. Chinese sesame paste is made from toasted sesame seeds; if it proves difficult to source, tahini is a fine stand-in. As a garnish, Dunlop fries raw peanuts until golden brown. But since the raw nuts are hard to come by in the U.S., we opt for roasted peanuts and sizzle them in hot oil to enhance their texture and deepen their flavor. If you like, serve on a bed of lettuce leaves or cucumber slices.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t add the chicken to the poaching liquid breast side down. We’ve found that starting it breast up and turning it midway through cooking results in more even cooking of the breasts and legs. Also, don’t allow the liquid to simmer vigorously. Active, energetic bubbling causes the meat to toughen. Maintain just the barest simmer.
4 hours
40 minutes active
Ingredients
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4
scallions, whites lightly smashed, greens thinly sliced, reserved separately
-
1
2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 2 or 3 pieces and bruised
Directions
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01In a large (at least 8-quart) pot, combine 4½ quarts water, the scallion whites, ginger and 1 tablespoon salt; bring to a boil over high. Slowly lower the chicken into the water breast side up, letting the liquid flow into the cavity. If the chicken floats and isn’t fully submerged, weigh it down with a heat-proof plate. Return the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered and at a bare simmer, for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken breast side down after 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let stand for 30 minutes.
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July 5, 2023
Tasty
We couldn’t wait and ate is warm. Has it as lettuce wraps with a bit of shredded carrot.
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