"This is a good warm-weather dish. It can be served either as an appetizer or as a regular course. A major advantage is that everything is simple and can be done ahead of time. Since the chicken is to be cut into shreds after boiling, you can economize and buy a whole small chicken or even chicken legs instead of the more expensive chicken breast.
1 whole chicken breast
SEASONINGS (per lb. of meat)
2-3 Tbsps. finely chopped fresh ginger
2-3 Tsps. finely chopped garlic
4-6 Tbsps. sesame paste
4-6 Tbsps. red oil
2 tsps. Chinese red vinegar or white vinegar
2-3 Tbsps. soy sauce
1-2 Tbsps. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground Szechwan pepper
2-3 Tbsps. sesame oil
to prepare and cook:
1. Clean the chicken and place it in enough boiling water to cover in a wok or pot. Boil until tender. It will take from 10-30 minutes depending on whether you are using breasts, legs, or a whole small chicken. Remove and drain. When cool, bone the chicken and cut its meat into shreds, about 3/4-inch thick, 1/4-inch wide (or smaller) and about 1-inch long. Arrange on a serving plate (on a bed of some decorative, leafy-type vegetable if you are feeling aesthetic).
2. While the chicken is boiling, chop the ginger and garlic finely. Mix the SEASONINGS in a small bowl.
3. Just before the dish is to be served, pour the SEASONINGS over the chicken shreds. Serve at room temperature."
Robert A. Delfs: The Good Food of Szechwan
Kodansha Amer Inc., New York - 1974
pag. 46
catalogazione: una delle librerie di Susan