1

1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
500 gm (1 lb 2 oz) skinless
chicken breast fillets or
boned chicken Marylands
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
or peanuts
1 small red chilli, thinly sliced
DRESSING
3 tbsp Chinese roasted
sesame paste (see note)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar, or to taste
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chilli oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp crushed Sichuan
peppercorns
2 tbsp chicken stock

SALAD

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 handful of coriander sprigs

1 small cucumber, cut into

short batons

1 Place the stock and Shaoxing

rice wine in a saucepan and

bring to the boil. Rub the

chicken with salt and poach in

the simmering stock until just

tender (15-20 minutes). Remove

from the stock (reserve stock

for another use) and cool.

2 Whisk the dressing

ingredients in a small bowl and

season to taste with salt.

3 Beat the chicken lightly with

a rolling pin or mallet to loosen

the fibres. Using your fingers,

shred the chicken into long

strips along the grain. Transfer

to a serving plate, add the salad

ingredients and toss to

combine. Drizzle with dressing

to taste and sprinkle with

sesame seeds or peanuts and

sliced chilli. Serve with extra

dressing on the side.

NoteChinese roasted sesame

paste is available from select

Asian grocers. If you don’t have

any, use tahini.●

Bang bang chickenSERVES 4-6

“Also known as ‘strange-flavour chicken’, bang bang chicken gets its name from the sound of
a mallet pounding a piece of chicken on a chopping board,” says Tony Tan. “A popular dish
from Sichuan, it’s essentially poached chicken dressed with a nutty, hot and numbing sauce.”

“Bang bang chicken gets its name from

the sound of a mallet pounding a piece

of chicken on a chopping board.”