Bang Bang Chicken

Method

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1. Bring the water to the boil with the ginger, spring onion, wine and salt.

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2. Lower in the chicken, bring back to a bare simmer for 3 minutes, then cover and take the pan off the heat.

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3. Leave the chicken in the cooling liquid 25 minutes, until cooked through.

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4. Lift it out, cool it, and tear the meat along the grain into rough shreds with your fingers.

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5. Loosen the sesame paste with the 3 tbsp poaching liquid until it pours.

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6. Whisk in the chilli oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar, Sichuan pepper and sesame oil.

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7. Lay the cucumber on a plate, pile the shredded chicken over and pour the sauce across.

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8. Finish with coriander, spring onion, sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.

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Chef’s Tips

• Tear the chicken, never slice it.
• Off the heat and covered. Simmering dries the breast out.
• Loosen the sesame paste with the poaching liquid, not water.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Smashed cucumber
• Cold beer
• Steamed rice

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 2 days, chicken and sauce kept separately.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.