Recipe adapted from The Milk Street Cookbook
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes, Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 2, 10-12 ounce chicken breasts
- 6-8 scallions, white parts roughly chopped, green parts thinly sliced on diagonals
- 1 inch knob of fresh ginger cut into 4 pieces and smashed or sub ¼ tsp dried ginger
- 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed & peeled
- Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup dry sherry (optional)
- 2 tbsp chili oil
- 2 tbsp tahini
- ⅕ tbsp white sugar
- 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- ⅛-¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 large cucumber, halved lengthwise and de-seeded, then thinly sliced crosswise on diagonal
- ⅓ cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (sub toasted pepitas for nut allergies)
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large saucepan, place chicken breasts, then add scallion whites, ginger, garlic and ¾ tsp salt. Add 4 cups water and sherry, if using. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover, reduce to low and cook on a very light simmer until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160F (20-25 minutes). Uncover the pan and let the chicken cool in the liquid for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together the chili oil, tahini, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne and an additional ¾ tsp salt.
- Using tongs, remove chicken from the cooking liquid and transfer to a large bowl, add 2 tbsp of tahini dressing, then use a wooden spoon to smash the meat, shredding it and working the dressing in. Use your fingers if necessary to pull the shreds into bite sized pieces.