CHICKEN SZECHUAN-STYLE WITH SESAME PASTE
Grrrrrgh!
Course : Chicken
From: HungryMonster.com
Serves: 6
 

Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2                     Whole chicken beasts, Skinned and boned
  2       Tablespoon    Szechuan peppercorns
  4       Tablespoon    Sesame paste
  3       Tablespoon    Green tea
  2       Tablespoon    Wine vinegar
  2 1/2   Teaspoon      Soy sauce
  3       Tablespoon    Peanut oil
  2       Teaspoon      Crushed red pepper *
  3       Slices        fresh ginger, minced
  1                     Scallion (white part only), Chopped
  1       clove         Garlic, minced fine
  1 1/2   Tablespoon    Dry sherry or Shaoshing wine
    1/2   Teaspoon      Cayenne pepper
                        Lettuce leaves
 

Preparation:

* or you substitute 2 whole chili peppers, crushed. In a pot, poach the chicken breasts in a little boiling water for 10 minutes until white and opaque. In a dry frying pan, toast the Szechuan peppercorns over moderate heat, then crust or grind them; set aside. Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, drain and cool them. Slice them, then shred the slices into julienne pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine the sesame paste and green tea (or the peanut butter and sesame oil -- See NOTE). Add the vinegar and soy sauce; blend well. Add the peanut oil, red pepper, ginger, scallion, garlic, sherry, cayenne pepper, and the peppercorns. Mix all ingredients very well. Toss the chicken strips in this sauce, to coat. Refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving. Pass the chicken and the lettuce leaves separately, and let each guest place a small portion of the chicken in the middle of a lettuce leaf and roll it up like an egg roll to eat using fingers. Makes 6 appetizer servings. NOTE: The authentic recipe calls for green tea to thin the sesame seed paste, but you may substitute chicken broth, or simply water, if you prefer. Another substitution you may make if you wish is peanut butter for the sesame seed paste along with sesame oil instead of green tea.