Sichuan Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken

Jisi Liang Mian (鸡丝凉面)

Cooled noodles are topped with a mound of shredded chicken, a flourish of cilantro, and a splash of creamy spicy peanut sauce; all of it served alongside slivers of cucumber, carrot, and scallion.

Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken is a delicious Sichuan Cold Noodle Dish that can be found throughout the province during the hot summer months. Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken are always combined with a spicy sauce that will leave you sweating just as much as the scorching sun. It is the cold Noodles and cool Vegetables which offer a refreshing respite from the intense heat.

Although many cities have their own unique interpretations of this dish, the following style is common in Chengdu and nearby cities. It features a creamy, sizzling-spicy sauce and slivers of cooling Vegetables like Cucumber. Another common version is Yibin Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken (宜宾鸡丝凉面). Unlike the Chengdu version, Yibin Cold Noodles do not add a creamy element like Peanut Butter or Sesame Paste. They instead use a simple Chili Oil Sauce as is common with other Yibin Tossed Noodle Dishes (宜宾拌面) such as Yibin Kindling Noodles (宜宾燃面). Also, these Noodles have no Vegetables and Garnishes other than Bean Sprouts (blanched and cooled), pieces of Scallion, and lightly crushed Peanuts.

Like with any Cold Noodle Dish, the Vegetables should pleasantly contrast both the spicy sauce by adding coolness and the soft Noodles by adding crispness. Two of the best options for this are Cucumber and Bean Sprouts. Bean Sprouts are not needed in the following recipe, but they are common for other versions that lack Cucumber such as regular Cold Noodles and Yibin Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken. As for the Cucumber, it should be firm and fresh and not too watery. (Do not use English Cucumber for this dish. Chinese Cucumbers are naturally firmer and less watery). After cutting the Cucumber into slivers, I recommend using paper towels to remove some of the excess moisture. I also advise using a mandolin to slice the Cucumber and especially the Carrot, so that they may be easily julienned into matchstick-thin strips.

Only a small portion of Sichuan Boiled Chicken Breast (川式煮的鸡胸) is need for this recipe. I would recommend making a few Boiled Chicken Breasts and saving the leftovers for Cold Chicken Dishes or healthy meals. Chicken Thigh can also be used which will be slightly more flavorful and tender. The flavor of Thigh meat and Breast meat won’t be extremely noticeable in the following dish, but the texture will be obvious. The dish can also be made with a combination of white and dark meat as is common in Sichuan. However, I prefer to use one or the other for simplicity.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 15 min

Serving: 1-2 people

Ingredients

1/4 Sichuan Boiled Chicken Breast (OR 1/2 Sichuan Boiled Chicken Thigh)

Aromatics
1 large clove of Garlic

Vegetables
1 Chinese Cucumber
1/2 Carrot
1 4-inch-long white stalk of Big Scallion (大葱)

Garnish
1 small bunch of Cilantro

Sizzling-Spicy Peanut Sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chicken Cooking Water (or plain Water)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Oil with Chili Flakes
1/2 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter (OR Sesame Paste)
1/2 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1 tsp. Sichuan Pepper Oil
1/2 tsp. White Sugar
1/4 tsp. Ground Sichuan Pepper

200 grams Fresh Alkaline Noodles

1 Tbsp. Peanut Oil

Directions

1.) Prepare the Shredded Chicken, placing it into a small bowl:

• Cook the Sichuan Boiled Chicken Breast and allow it to cool completely before handling.
• Cut the Chicken Breast in half and then divide it again into fourths.
• Set 1/4 of the Chicken onto a cutting board and smack it lightly and repeatedly with a rolling pin, dowel, or meat mallet until the Chicken becomes fibrous.
• Use your hands to shred the Chicken into fine slivers and set these slivers aside in a bowl.

(Boneless, skinless Chicken Thigh can be used instead of Chicken Breast for a more flavorful and tender shredded Chicken topping. The amount of shredded Chicken Breast needed for this recipe can vary greatly depending on the size of the meat. Regardless, the amount should form a decent mound atop the Noodles while still appearing aesthetically pleasing).

2.) Peel, smash, and mince the Garlic clove and set it aside in an empty sauce bowl.

3.) Wash and julienne all the Vegetables, arranging each on the serving plate:

• Cucumber: Cut the Cucumber into 4-inch-long segments. Slice off a thin piece from the side. Rotate the Cucumber with this cut-side down and slice the Cucumber lengthwise as thinly as possible into long, rectangular slices. Slide these slices across the cutting board and cut them into long, thin slivers. Place two paper towels on a flat surface and carefully arrange the Cucumber slivers in a thin layer on top of the paper, keeping the slivers facing the same direction. Place another paper towel on top of the Cucumber slivers and press down several times to remove the excess water. Arrange the Cucumber slivers in little bundles on the serving plate with about a 1-inch space between them.
• Carrot: Cut the Carrot into a 4-inch-long cylinder. Slice off a thin piece from the side of the Carrot. Rotate the Carrot with this cut-side down and slice the Carrot lengthwise as thinly as possible into long, rectangular slices. Slide these slices across the cutting board and cut them into long, thin slivers. Arrange the Carrot slivers in little bundles between the Cucumber slivers.
• Big Scallion: Cut down the length of the Scallion halfway into the center. Unroll the white outer hull and discard the green inner core. Flatten the outer white hull and finely slice the Scallion into long, thin slivers. Arrange the slivers on either side of the Carrot and Cucumber slivers running perpendicular to them.

(The amount Cucumber should be about twice the amount of Carrot. The amount of Carrot should be about twice the amount of Big Scallion. These Vegetables can be arranged multiple ways on the serving plate, but generally they are placed in alternating rows with the Scallion framing the Cucumber and Carrot).

4.) Cut off the top 3-inches of the small bunch of Cilantro, setting the leafy stems into a bowl to be used as a Garnish.

5.) Make the Sizzling-Spicy Peanut Sauce by combining all of the ingredients (Water, Soy Sauce, Chili Oil, Peanut Butter, Vinegar, Sichuan Pepper Oil, Sugar, and Ground Sichuan Pepper) in the same sauce bowl as the minced Garlic. Mix the Sauce until extremely smooth and creamy.

6.) Fill a large pot with around 3 Liters of water and heat the water on high heat until boiling. Add the Noodles to the boiling water and cook them until about 95% cooked.

(DO NOT overcook the Noodles! If the Noodles are too soft, they will have absorbed too much water and will weaken the flavor).

7.) Drain the Noodles, pouring them into a wire sieve, and vigorously shake out any excess water. Quickly place the Noodles on a baking sheet and drizzle Peanut Oil over them. Use a handheld fan in one hand and chopsticks in the other hand to lift and drop the Noodles repeatedly while fanning them.

(This process will coat the Noodles with Oil, cool them, and prevent them from sticking together).

8.) Plate the Noodles by wrapping them around one’s hand and laying them on the serving plate so that the individual Noodles are all lined up in the same direction as the Cucumber and Carrot slivers.

9.) Arrange the Shredded Chicken atop the center of the Noodles in a large mound and drizzle the Sizzling-Spicy Peanut Sauce over both the Chicken and the Noodles.

10.) Top the shredded Chicken with the bundle of fresh Cilantro and serve the refreshing Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken immediately. The Noodles should be mixed at the table and then divided among the guests.

 

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