Dish of Cold Dressed Chicken
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Cold Dressed Chicken


China - Sichuan   -   Liangban ji
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 salad
**
See Steps
Most		 Many cold chicken dishes are made in Sichuan. They are usually quite simple, but distinctly dressed. This one can serve as an cold appetizer, or as a cold chicken salad.

14
4
1/3
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1/2
1/2
2
2
3
3
1
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oz

c
----
t
t
t
T
T
T
t
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Chicken, cooked (1)  
Scallions
Peanuts, roasted (2
-- Dressing
Sichuan Pepper (3)
Salt
Black Vinegar (4)
Soy Sauce
Chicken Broth (5)
Chili Oil (6)
Sesame Oil
-- Garnish
Sesame Seeds (7)
Do Ahead:
  1. Simmer CHICKEN with a few chunks of smacked ginger and a few scallions. Simmer until just done. Let the Chicken cool in the broth, then remove and refrigerate. See Notes 1 and 3.
  2. Dry roast Peanuts if you don't have them already on hand. See our recipe Dry Roasted Peanuts.
  3. Make Chili Oil if you don't have it already on hand. See our recipe Chili Oil. Some of the sediment is used in this recipe.
  4. Toast Sesame Seeds if you don't have them on hand. See our recipe Toasted Sesame Seeds.
Dressing:   -   (8 min)
  1. Grind Sichuan Peppercorns. Mix all Dressing items in a small jar. Include some of its Sediment from the Chili Oil.
Make:   -   (20 min)
  1. Cut Chicken into bite size pieces (about 3/4 inch).
  2. Slice Scallions into about 1/2 inch lengths.
  3. Toss together Chicken, Scallions, Peanuts and Dressing. Chill in the fridge.
  4. Serve cold, garnished with Sesame Seeds.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      I always use whole skin-on thighs for best flavor and texture, and best broth. You'll need 2-1/2 pounds of skin-on, bone in Thighs to make 14 ounces of simmered meat, but you'll get plenty of broth from it.

  2. Dry Roasted Peanuts

      An ingredient here, but most often used a garnish for many Chinese and Southeast Asian recipes, these have a much different flavor and texture than commercial roasted peanuts. See our recipe Dry Roasted Peanuts.

  3. Sichuan Peppercorns

      Fruits of a prickly ash tree, - nothing at all like black peppercorns. Asian recipes always call for them to be lightly toasted before use, but to be legally imported into the USA they must already be lightly toasted, so I skip that step. For details see our Sichuan Pepper page.

  4. Black Vinegar

      This is a staple ingredient for Chinese cooking. For details see our Vinegars & Souring Agents page.

  5. Chicken Broth

      This recipe makes quite a bit of broth, but uses only a few Tablespoons. The rest can be used for other recipes. I always include skins, bones and fat when simmering Chicken. After the meat is done, cooled and removed, I give the broth and all the skins, bones, and stuff in it another hour or more of simmering. I then strain it, defat it using my gravy separator, and refrigerate it until needed. For full details of making and storing, see our Soup Stock / Broth page.

  6. Chili Oil

      This is a pantry staple in southern China. It is easy to make with both oil and its sediment used in recipes. Commercial Chili Oil is usually too hot, lacks flavor, and lacks the sediment. See our recipe Chili Oil.

  7. Sesame Seeds, Toasted:

      These are an essential item for Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking, so should always be on hand for those cuisines. They are available already toasted in Asian markets, but are better and more reliably fresh made at home. See our easy recipe Toasted Sesame Seeds. Sealed in an air tight jar, away from heat and sunlight, they will last for several months.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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