China · Home-style
Cold Shredded Chicken
Poached chicken breast shredded by hand and tossed in a light sesame oil and black vinegar dressing, cool and faintly numbing.
Shredded chicken salad is what cooks turn to when the weather turns hot and heavy food sits badly. Poaching the breast in plain water with ginger and then shocking it in cold water keeps the meat pale and slippery instead of rubbery. The dressing leans on sesame oil and black vinegar for a numbing, sour finish rather than chili heat.
Ingredients
- chicken breast200 g
- sesame oil5 ml
- light soy sauce4 ml
- black vinegar4 ml
- sugar3 g
- salt2 g
- ginger20 g
Directions
- 1
Slice the ginger and set aside.
- 2
Pour four liters of water into a pot.
- 3
Add the chicken breast and the ginger slices.
- 4
Pour in twenty milliliters of cooking wine.
- 5
Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered.
- 6
Once boiling, drop to medium heat and spoon off the scum.
- 7
Continue to poach for five to seven minutes: five if the chicken is not frozen, seven if it is.
- 8
The size of the breast affects how long it takes; push a chopstick into it, and if it slides in easily the chicken is done. Otherwise keep cooking.
- 9
Rinse the chicken breast under cool boiled water to bring it down to room temperature.
- 10
Tear the chicken into fine shreds along the grain.
- 11
Take a bowl.
- 12
Add the sesame oil, light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar and salt.
- 13
Stir the dressing so the sugar and salt dissolve as much as possible.
- 14
Pour the dressing over the shredded chicken and toss to combine.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.