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Recipes
May 2012

Mouthwatering Chicken

By Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco CAPhotography by Alanna Hale

3.6

(42)

Image may contain Plant Dish Food Meal Seasoning and Produce
Alanna Hale

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

Poached Chicken

2

pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

5

tablespoons kosher salt, divided

1

2" piece ginger, peeled, sliced

2

scallions, trimmed, cut into thirds, smashed with the back of a knife

Numbing Vinaigrette

1

tablespoon chili oil

1½

teaspoons cumin seeds

1½

teaspoons fennel seeds

1½

teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns

2

scallions, thinly sliced

2

Thai chiles, chopped

½

cup finely chopped peeled ginger (from two 4x1" pieces)

1½

teaspoons (packed) light brown sugar

½

cup soy sauce

¼

cup finely chopped garlic

3

tablespoons chinkiang (black) vinegar

1

tablespoon fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)

Assembly

1

head iceberg or romaine lettuce, torn into pieces

2

cups bean sprouts

2

cups (packed) fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Poached Chicken

    Step 1

    Season chicken with 2 Tbsp. salt; let stand for 15 minutes. Bring remaining 3 Tbsp. salt, ginger, scallions, and 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot; add chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 20 minutes. 

    Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl. Add poaching liquid to cover by 1". Cover and chill chicken. Reserve ½ cup poaching liquid.

  2. Numbing Vinaigrette

    Step 2

    Heat chili oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add cumin, fennel, and peppercorns; fry, stirring often, until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Add scallions, chiles, ginger, and sugar; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved ½ cup liquid from poached chicken, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, and fish sauce. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. 

    Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

  3. Assembly

    Step 3

    Remove chicken from poaching liquid. Thinly slice. Toss lettuce, sprouts, and cilantro in a large bowl to combine. Divide among plates. Arrange sliced chicken over. Drizzle with numbing vinaigrette.

Nutrition Per Serving

One serving contains: Calories (kcal) 280 Fat (g) 6 Saturated Fat (g) 1 Cholesterol (mg) 90 Carbohydrates (g) 15 Dietary Fiber (g) 3 Total Sugars (g) 8 Protein (g) 40 Sodium (mg) 6900
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