Ban-ban Ji - Cold Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing
Bang-Bang Chicken is a marvelous example of how Sichuan cuisine blends contrasting flavors to create classic dishes where the whole is greater than its parts. It's a perfect warm weather dish to serve for lunch, as a stand alone appetizer, or part of a bigger meal.
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Servings: 4
Equipment
- Wok
- Jar with lid
- Instant read thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 whole Chicken breast, split in 2
- ½ lb Bean sprouts (or iceberg lettuce)
- 1 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
- ½ inch Ginger root, peeled and crushed
- 6 whole Sichuan peppercorns,
- 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 stalk Scallion, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp Toasted sesame seeds
Sesame Dressing
- 1 inch Ginger root, minced
- ½ tsp Ground Sichuan pepper
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (tahini or peanut butter OK)
- 5 tbsp Red chile oil
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken - Boil enough water in a wok to cover chicken. Add chopped scallions, crushed ginger and garlic, and whole peppercorns. Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes or reaches 150°F (66°C) on an instant read thermometer. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from chicken and shred into thin, long pieces by hand.
- Prepare Dressing - In a sealed container or jar, combine minced garlic, ginger, ground sichuan pepper, sesame paste, red oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Cover container and shake to combine.
- Serve - If using bean sprouts, heat 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil in a wok. Stir fry bean sprouts for 3 minutes. If using lettuce, shred first and mix with 1 tbsp sesame oil. Place sprouts or shredded lettuce onto the middle of a serving platter. Fan chicken shreds over sprouts. Rim dish with cucumber sticks. Pour shaken dressing over chicken shreds and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve.
Notes
- Any good sesame paste may be used, even peanut butter, but Chinese sesame paste has its own unique flavor that matches perfectly in the dressing.
- This dish is also excellent served over cold noodles instead of the bean sprouts or shredded lettuce.
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg