Pon Pon Chicken
Submitted by jlmolla
Pon pon chicken (bang bang chicken) shreds poached chicken over salted cucumber ribbons with a warm sesame-soy-ginger dressing. Classic Sichuan cold-plate appetizer or main.
YIELD
1 SERVINGSPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40Pon pon chicken (also known as bang bang chicken) is a Sichuan classic that earned its name from the wooden mallet traditionally used to tenderize the poached chicken before shredding. In modern kitchens you can just shred the meat with your fingers, but the dressing is what makes this dish memorable, a glossy, nutty, spicy sesame sauce that pulls flavors from across Asian and even Western pantries.
Poached chicken breast gets shredded into matchstick strips and layered over cucumbers that have been salted to draw out their water and firm up their crunch. Then the sauce: tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ginger juice, garlic juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and a splash of cornstarch simmer briefly on the stove into a silky dressing that thickens just enough to cling.
Served cold on top of the cucumbers with the warm sauce poured over, the whole plate lands somewhere between salad and entrée. A classic lunch in Chengdu and a stunning summer dinner anywhere else.
Kitchen Tips
- Poach the chicken gently in barely simmering water. A rolling boil turns the meat stringy.
- Salt the cucumbers for 10 to 15 minutes and squeeze them well. Unsalted cucumbers water down the sauce; squeezed cucumbers stay crunchy.
- Grate fresh ginger and garlic and squeeze the juice through a fine sieve. Raw pieces of either overpower the delicate sauce.
- Use real tahini or Chinese sesame paste, not peanut butter. Sesame is the central flavor and cannot be substituted.
- Make the sauce ahead and chill. Leftover sauce keeps in the fridge for a week and thickens as it sits.
Variations
- Add Sichuan peppercorns to the sauce for a traditional tongue-tingling numbing heat (mala).
- Swap chicken for firm tofu or cold poached shrimp for different proteins.
- Top with thinly sliced scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds for extra texture and visual appeal.
Ingredients
Directions
Poach or steam chicken over medium heat for approximately 10 to 12 minutes until done.
Remove and let cool. Then shred or cut into match size strips.
Set aside. Peel and cut cucumbers lengthwise into half, then slice into thin strips.
Mix with ½ tablespoon salt in a large bowl and slightly squeeze for a minute.
Drain well and place evenly on a platter.
In a saucepan, add dressing mix and bring to a slow boil while stirring.
Add stock or water if needed. Finally, slightly thicken.
Transfer dressing to a container and store until needed.
To serve, place chicken strips on top of pickled cucumber and pour dressing over top.
Comments
