Sichuan Chicken Salad

A lot of Chinese dishes can be heavy going but this spicy Sichuan chicken salad, is light, bright and crisp. To get the best aromatic flavour out of the Sichuan peppercorns, toast them in a hot oven for a few minutes, allow them to cool and grind in a pestle and mortar.

Sichuan peppercorn—also known as Chinese coriander—has faint lemony notes and creates a tingly numbness on the tongue. Its unique flavor adds a special kick to Sichuan dishes.

1. Sear Chicken Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken all over with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, add chicken and sear until browned on outside and no longer pink, 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2. Prepare Ingredients While chicken sears, rinse cucumbers, halve lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½-inch slices. Rinse scallions, then trim and discard roots and thinly slice, keeping whites and light greens separate from dark greens. Trim and discard skin of ginger and mince. Using the bottom of a small pot, crush Sichuan peppercorns until coarsely ground.

3. Make Peppercorn Sauce In a large bowl, whisk together black vinegar, as much Sichuan peppercorn as desired, as much Sambal Oelek as desired, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, scallion whites and light greens , ½ of soy sauce, and ½ of ginger. Using 2 forks or tongs, shred chicken into bitesize pieces.

4. Season and Warm Chicken Wipe pan from chicken clean and add peppercorn sauce over medium heat. Cook until ginger is softened, 2-3 minutes. Add shredded chicken and cook, stirring, until warmed through, 2- 3 minutes.

5. Toss Salad While chicken warms, add remaining sesame oil, remaining ginger, and remaining soy sauce to bowl from peppercorn sauce and whisk to combine. Add snow peas, arugula, cucumbers, and scallion dark greens and toss to coat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

6. Plate Chicken Divide salad evenly between 2 plates. Top with chicken, then garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

2

By: Hanna Yurkovetskaya