Fuchsia Dunlop fell in love with Sichuan cookery when she moved there in 1994. She attended the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu and was the first westerner to train there as a chef. Her Sichuan cookbook Land of Plenty, which was published 20 years ago, was voted one of the greatest cookbooks of all time by Observer Food Monthly. Since then an appreciation for Sichuanese food has spread, ingredients have become more widely available and Fuchsia Dunlop has continued to explore the cuisine. Her updated cookbook The Food of Sichuan includes new recipes and reflects changes in the cuisine. Needless to say I was delighted to be given a copy recently. This recipe for cold poached chicken salad called to me first – not complicated and absolutely delicious.
First you will need to poach some chicken. The cookbook describes a method for whole chicken but as I didn’t have one, I chose to poach 2 chicken breasts. If you have a sous vide wand and have the time, this would be an ideal method. Otherwise, place the chicken breasts in just enough cold water to cover, add some unpeeled ginger slices and some smashed white parts of spring onions and place over very low heat to bring to a simmer. When the water simmers, turn off the heat and allow the chicken to steep until it is cooked. To check whether the chicken is done either use a thermometer – the internal temperature should be 75°C (165ºF), or take the chicken out of the water and cut into it – if the juices run clear then it is cooked. Cover and set aside to cool. To make the salad cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl along with 4 spring onions cut into short lengths, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds and 50g (1¾ oz) of roasted peanuts. For the dressing combine 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of cold chicken stock, 2 teaspoons of Chingkiang vinegar, 2 teaspoons of caster sugar and ½ a teaspoon of salt and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add in ¼ – ½ a teaspoon of ground roasted Sichuan peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 3 – 4 tablespoons of chilli oil (or to taste) with or without the sediment. You can buy chilli oil in Asian stores or you can quite easily make your own. Add the dressing to the chicken, toss well and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.
michelle picker cooks 