Fuchsia Dunlop’s Spicy Sichuanese Chicken Salad

Since I came upon this recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop’s wonderful book Every Grain of Rice, from which it is adapted, it is the first thing I think about when I have leftover chicken. If truth be told, when I’m craving this spicy cold dish, I try to make sure there is leftover chicken. Her cookbook calls for either cold, cooked chicken poached Chinese-style — a separate recipe in the book — or leftovers. She points out that if you use leftovers, the meat won’t be as moist and fresh-tasting, but you can add a little extra chicken stock (or broth) to moisten it. (Read our review of Every Grain of Rice.)

I’ve always eaten this just as is, but Dunlop mentions in her headnote that you can also serve it on a bed of sliced cucumber or salad greens, maybe arugula or watercress. Sounds wonderful.

The light soy sauce called for in the recipe is not low-sodium soy sauce, but what is normally labeled simply as “soy sauce” in Western supermarkets. (Dark soy sauce is less commonly used, and more intense.) In her ingredients appendix, Dunlop writes that tamari is a suitable substitute for light soy sauce.

Serves 2, or maybe 3 if cucumbers or greens are added

Ingredients

About 3/4 pound (300 - 350 g) cold, cooked chicken without bones

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, divided

3 scallions, sliced at an angle (green and white parts)

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the sauce

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Chinkiang vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon chicken stock (plus additional to moisten the chicken, if you like)

3 to 4 tablespoons chile oil with 1/2 tablespoon of its sediment (or more, if you wish)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground, roasted Sichuan pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

1. Cut or tear the chicken as evenly as possible into bite-sized strips or slivers and place them in a deep bowl. Toast the sesame seeds gently in a dry wok or small skillet for a few minutes, until they are fragrant and starting to turn golden, then tip them into a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the sesame seeds to the chicken, along with the scallions and salt.

2. Make the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sugar, chicken stock, chile oil, Sichuan pepper and sesame oil in a small bowl.

3. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and mix well. Arrange on a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe notes

In Dunlop’s original recipe, the sesame seeds are optional, but to me they added so much I’d hate to leave them out.