Bang Bang Shredded Chicken

Bang Bang Jisi (棒棒鸡丝)

Explode your taste buds with this classic Sichuan appetizer – tender chicken is topped with a sweet-sour, sizzling-spicy sesame sauce that is incredibly addicting.

The ‘Bang Bang’ in the name of these dishes refers not too the sound of an explosion but rather to the Chinese word for a small club or cudgel (棒). This is because a wooden dowel is used to make Bang Bang Chicken – either to smash the chicken or to hammer the back of a cleaver. (An old rolling pin or mallet works equally well).

Bang Bang Shredded Chicken seems quite unlike the classic Leshan-style Bang Bang Chicken. A boneless, skinless Boiled Chicken Breast is used instead a complete Boiled Chicken. The Boiled Chicken Breast is also smashed and shredded instead of being cut with a cleaver. Bang Bang Shredded Chicken features a complex tangy Sesame Sauce similar to those popular in Chengdu. Nevertheless, like the sweet-and-spicy Chili Oil Sauce of classic Bang Bang Chicken, this complexly flavored sauce is attributed with Leshan, where it is better known as Multi-Flavored Shredded Chicken (怪味鸡丝 – literally Strange-Flavor Chicken). The name implies the sauce has a unique combination of flavors; these flavors include sweet, sour, sizzling, spicy, salty, and umami.

(This Multi-Flavored Sesame Sauce is not to be overlooked. You’ll want to double the sauce in this recipe. It’s that good! Store the extra sauce in a jar and use it for chicken, salads, wraps, and even burgers. If you would like a thinner or smoother sauce, use 2 Tablespoons of Pure Chili Oil instead of combining Chili Oil and Oil Chili Flakes. You can also vary the amount of Sesame Oil depending on the thickness of the Sesame Paste.)

Multi-Flavored Shredded Chicken has the same flavor as Bang Bang Shredded Chicken in the following recipe; however, the Chicken for this dish is often simply thinly sliced instead of being shredded by hand. The meat from an entire Boiled Chicken is often used, though the Sesame Base, Powder Ingredients, and Sauces would all need to be doubled or even tripled. This amount is typically served as a side at a large family-style meal. Cucumber can be replaced by large slices of Big Scallion when making Multi-Flavored Shredded Chicken using an entire Chicken.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 15 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

1 Cucumber

1 – 2 Boiled Chicken Breasts

Sesame Base
3 Tbsp. Sesame Paste
1 Tbsp. Oil Chili Flakes (油辣子)
1 Tbsp. Pure Chili Oil (红油)
1 tsp. – 2 tsp. Sesame Oil

Powder Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp. White Sugar
1 tsp. Ground Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Sichuan Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder

Sauces
1 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Chinkiang Vinegar

Garnishes
1 green stalk of Small Scallions (小葱)
1 sprig of Cilantro
1/2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
1/2 Tbsp Crushed Peanuts (Optional)

Directions

1.) Wash the Cumber, set it on a cutting board, and slice it on a bias (at a 45-degree angle) to get thin 1/4-inch-thick oval chips. Stack these chips after each slice. Place your hand on top of the stack and slide it across the cutting surface, like spreading playing cards across a poker table. Julienne the Cucumber chips into thin slivers no thicker than a match stick. Arrange the Cucumber slivers on the serving plate.

(If a vegetable mandolin is available, use it to quickly achieve perfectly thin and uniform slices. Then, julienne the slices as normal).

2.) Take the Chicken and set it on a solid surface. Using a rolling pin, wooden dowel, or meat mallet, smash the Chicken several times. Use your fingers to pull apart and shred the Chicken into thin slivers to match the thickness of the Cucumber. Arrange the Chicken on top of the Cucumber slivers on the serving plate.

3.) To make the Sesame Base combine the Sesame Paste with the various oils (Oil Chili Flakes, Chili Oil, and Sesame Oil) in a bowl and stir vigorously to emulsify.

(This will make a somewhat thick sauce, so if you would like a thinner sauce, add a little more Sesame Oil or Chili Oil. The one tablespoon of Oil Chili Flakes can also be replaced by one tablespoon of pure Chili Oil for a super smooth sauce. I like the texture and the thickness of the Oil Chili Flakes, but this is a matter of preference.)

4.) Add to the Sesame Base all of the Powder Ingredients (Sugar, Chili Powder, Sichuan Pepper Powder, Salt, MSG, and Chicken Bouillon Powder) mixing intermittently to incorporate them.

5.) Add the final Sauce Ingredients (Soy Sauce and Vinegar) and mix thoroughly. Allow the Sauce to rest while preparing the Garnishes, but don’t forget to stir it before pouring.

6.) Finely slice the Scallion and set it on a small plate with the other Garnishes (Cilantro, Sesame Seeds, and Peanuts).

7.) Stir the Sauce thoroughly and then pour it over the shredded Chicken. Add the Garnishes and serve immediately. Mix the Sauce thoroughly with the shredded Chicken and Cucumber slivers before eating.

Bang Bang Chicken Salad Wraps

Bang Bang Jisi Juan (棒棒鸡丝卷)

This is a game changer – the chicken is tender and flavorful; the sesame sauce is creamy, spicy, and just a little tangy; and, there’s a nice crunch from the peanuts and crisp lettuce. Everything wrapped beautifully in a soft pillowy tortilla.

This is simply a chicken salad wrap made with Bang Bang Shredded Chicken. The wrap can be made either with freshly prepared Bang Bang Shredded Chicken or with leftovers. Since this is a fusion dish, the ingredients are quite versatile. The vegetables I have selected pair well with the other flavors, but feel free to experiment with your favorites. Spinach, kale, scallion, and even pickles are all viable options. Liberally use the Spicy Sesame Sauce from the Bang Bang Shredded Chicken recipe and optionally toss the Sauce with the Shredded Chicken before adding it to the Tortilla. The Sauce can also be served on the side for dipping.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 0 min

Total Time: 5 min

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

2 Flour Tortillas

Veggies (Per Wrap)
1 4-inch cylinder of Cucumber
1/2 of a Tomato
1/4 cup of Iceberg Lettuce (Amount When Shredded)
1 sprig of Cilantro

1/4 cup of Spicy Sesame Sauce (The Sauce for Bang Bang Shredded Chicken)

Filling (Per Wrap)
1/2 cup – 1 cup of Shredded Boiled Chicken Breast
1 Tbsp. crushed Peanuts
1 tsp. Sesame Seeds

Directions

1.) Place one large Tortilla on a plate and if necessary, warm it slightly so that it will be easier to wrap later.

2.) Prepare all of the Veggies setting each aside on a plate for later:

• Cucumber: Prepare the Cucumber as in the Bang Bang Shredded Chicken recipe – slicing it thin and then cutting the slices into long, thin strips.
• Tomato: Cut the Tomato into slices and then into long thin strips to match the Chicken.
• Lettuce: Wash the Lettuce and finely slice into thin shreds.
• Cilantro: Wash and roughly chop the Cilantro.

3.) Using a spoon, spread a small amount of the Spicy Sesame Sauce over the left half of the Tortilla, reserving the rest of the Sauce for later.

(This small amount of Sauce will help to adhere the Fillings and Veggies).

4.) Place about half a cup or more of the Shredded Boiled Chicken Breast on the left half of the Tortilla on top of the Spicy Sesame Sauce. Spoon more, but not all, of the Spicy Sesame Sauce over the Chicken and sprinkle everything with crushed Peanuts and Sesame Seeds.

(The amount of Shredded Chicken and Spicy Sesame Sauce may vary depending on the size of the Tortilla. But it should be an ample amount of both Chicken and Sauce. Also, the Sauce can be mixed with the Shredded Chicken prior to placing it on the Tortilla).

5.) On top of the Shredded Chicken, add all of the Veggies (Cucumber, Tomato, Lettuce, and Cilantro) and the remaining Spicy Sesame Sauce.

6.) Roll up the Tortilla in the same manner as making a burrito. Start by folding the top and bottom of the Tortilla over the Veggies and Filling. Then, roll the Tortilla over, tightly wrapping everything until the seam is on the bottom. Cut the Bang Bang Chicken Salad Wrap in half and enjoy the beautiful cross-section before serving.

 

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