Sichuan-Style Chicken Salad (Bang Bang Ji Si)
By Steve DunnPublished on March 19, 2018
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Chicken
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmedSaltDressing
¼ cup vegetable oil 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed1 (½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced in half2 tablespoons Sichuan chili powder 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground2 teaspoons sugarSalad
½ head napa cabbage, sliced thin (6 cups)1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems6 scallions, sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced thin on bias1 celery rib, sliced thin on bias2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)Before You Begin
We prefer Sichuan chili powder, but Korean red pepper flakes, called gochugaru, are a good alternative. Rice vinegar can be substituted for black vinegar, if desired. Vary the amount of Sichuan peppercorns to suit your taste.
Instructions
- Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound thick ends gently with meat pounder until ¾ inch thick. Discard plastic wrap. Whisk 4 quarts cool water with 2 tablespoons salt in Dutch oven. Arrange chicken in steamer basket, making sure not to overlap. Submerge steamer basket in pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally to even out hot spots, until water registers 175 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot, remove pot from burner, and let stand until chicken registers 160 degrees, 17 to 22 minutes.
- While chicken cooks, combine vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger in bowl. Microwave until oil is hot and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Strain oil mixture through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl; discard solids. Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, and sugar into strained oil. Add up to 1 teaspoon additional peppercorns to taste.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Shred chicken lengthwise into long, thin strips. Add chicken to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt to taste.
- Toss cabbage, 1 cup cilantro, two-thirds of scallions, celery, and pinch salt in second large bowl. Arrange cabbage mixture in even layer on large platter. Mound chicken on top of cabbage mixture and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cilantro, remaining scallions, and sesame seeds, if using. Serve.
for the chicken
for the dressing
for the salad
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Chicken
Dressing
Salad
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Dressing
Salad
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Dressing
Salad
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To ensure moist, judiciously seasoned chicken, we arranged four chicken breasts in a steamer basket, submerged the basket in a Dutch oven filled with salted water, and brought the water up to 175 degrees over medium heat. We then shut off the heat, covered the pot, and let the chicken cook gently via the salted water's residual heat until the chicken registered 160 degrees. Before shredding the chicken, we let it rest to allow the juices to redistribute, ensuring moist meat. We found that shredding the chicken created more surface area and allowed for greater penetration of the dressing, which we made by combining oil infused with garlic, ginger, and chili; soy sauce; Chinese black vinegar; toasted sesame oil; sugar; and toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns. For contrast, we mixed the dressed chicken with thin-sliced napa cabbage, scallions, celery, loads of cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.
Before You Begin
We prefer Sichuan chili powder, but Korean red pepper flakes, called gochugaru, are a good alternative. Rice vinegar can be substituted for black vinegar, if desired. Vary the amount of Sichuan peppercorns to suit your taste.
Instructions
- Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound thick ends gently with meat pounder until ¾ inch thick. Discard plastic wrap. Whisk 4 quarts cool water with 2 tablespoons salt in Dutch oven. Arrange chicken in steamer basket, making sure not to overlap. Submerge steamer basket in pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally to even out hot spots, until water registers 175 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot, remove pot from burner, and let stand until chicken registers 160 degrees, 17 to 22 minutes.
- While chicken cooks, combine vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger in bowl. Microwave until oil is hot and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Strain oil mixture through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl; discard solids. Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, and sugar into strained oil. Add up to 1 teaspoon additional peppercorns to taste.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Shred chicken lengthwise into long, thin strips. Add chicken to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt to taste.
- Toss cabbage, 1 cup cilantro, two-thirds of scallions, celery, and pinch salt in second large bowl. Arrange cabbage mixture in even layer on large platter. Mound chicken on top of cabbage mixture and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cilantro, remaining scallions, and sesame seeds, if using. Serve.
for the chicken
for the dressing
for the salad
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