Sichuan-style cold chicken in chili oil

Step 1/4

• 2 scallions
• 1 cucumber
• 10 g ginger

• cutting board
• knife

Separate scallion whites and greens. Cut white parts into thin strips, approx. 5 cm/2in in length and slice the green parts into rings on the diagonal. Finely julienne cucumber. Roughly chop ginger.

Step 2/4

• 400 g chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• salt

• pot (large)
• slotted spoon
• bowl (large)
• bowl (small)

Add chicken thighs to a large pot filled with cold water. Add Shaoxing wine, scallion whites, and ginger. Season with salt. Bring to a boil and skim of any foam with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook gently for 20 min., until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and transfer immediately to an ice bath or a bowl with cold water to stop the cooking process and let cool completely. Reserve a small cup of chicken stock and store the rest in the fridge to use in other recipes.

Step 3/4

• 1 tbsp dark rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp Sichuan pepper powder
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp spicy chili crisp
• salt

• bowl (small)
• whisk

To make the dressing, mix dark rice vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, ground Sichuan pepper, toasted sesame oil, and 3 tbsp of chicken stock (if the serving size is for more than 2, increase ratio as needed). Season with a pinch of salt. Add chili crisp or chili oil. You can adjust the amount of chili oil and crisp to your liking. Drain and debone the chicken, then slice into thin strips.

Step 4/4

• 10 g cilantro
• sesame seed (for garnish)
• rice (for serving)

On the serving plate, layer the cucumber sticks, then chicken strips. Drizzle the dressing over the top. Garnish with scallion greens, cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Enjoy your meal!