Millionaire Chicken
Submitted by amybower
Millionaire Chicken: Chinese cold chicken salad with Shantung cabbage, tossed in a spicy hot-oil dressing of Sichuan peppercorns, hoisin, and honey. Make-ahead friendly.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
55 minCOOK
60 minREADY
140 minThis Chinese chicken salad earned its name from the sheer layering of flavors packed into the dressing. Sichuan peppercorns and fresh chili get bloomed in hot peanut oil, then a chilled soy, hoisin, honey, and garlic mix gets poured right in when the oil is still sizzling.
The chicken breasts are poached whole with leek tops and ginger, then rested off the heat so they finish cooking gently in the warm liquid. That residual-heat technique is what keeps the meat juicy instead of stringy.
Shredding the chicken by hand gives you irregular, craggy pieces that catch the dressing far better than neat knife cuts.
Pro Tips
- Pull the poaching pot off the burner the moment you add the chicken and cover tight. The 45-minute gentle steep keeps the breast silky.
- Pour the sizzling Sauce A into the cold Sauce B bowl and listen for the crackle, that’s the Sichuan peppercorn oil blooming and releasing its numbing tingle.
- Dress the salad at the very last minute. The cabbage wilts fast once the hot oil hits it, and the whole point is that snap against tender chicken.
- Save the strained poaching liquid, it makes a quick light chicken broth for soups or rice.
Variations
- Sub in crisp iceberg or romaine lettuce for the Shantung cabbage if you want an even colder, crunchier salad.
- Top with toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts for extra texture.
- Add julienned cucumber and a handful of cilantro for a brighter, more herbal finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse chicken breasts in water.
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
Add leek tops and 2 slices ginger.
Bring water back to a boil.
Add whole chicken breats, cover, and cook over high flame for 15 minutes.
Turn off heat and allow chicken breats to cool in water for 45 minutes, leaving the cover askew.
Lift chicken breats out of saucepan and let them drain in a strainer set over a bowl for 20 to 30 minutes.
Refrigerate chicken breasts, well covered, until cold.
Remove skin and bone, then pull chicken meat apart into coarse shreds with fingers.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Shred Shantung cabbage and refrigerate.
In a small saucepan, Mix together ingredients for Sauce A. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for Sauce B. In a large bowl mix together the chilled cabbage and chicken. Heat Sauce A until it bubbles, then simmer for 1 minute. Add Sauce B to Sauce A. Pour sauces over chicken and cabbage just before serving. Mix well and serve immediately. All preparations, except shredding cabbage, can be done a day ahead. Cabbage can be shredded early in the day and then refrigerated. Makes an excellant lunch entree. Can be served as an appetizer, alone or accompanied by Shrimp Toast and Pearl Balls. This is thought of as a salad. Think of the sauces as the dressing. Lettuce can be used in place of the cabbage.
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