Sesame noodles
Sesame noodles with shredded chicken
Serves 4
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 piece (1-inch) fresh ginger, grated or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 tablespoons lightly packed light brown sugar
Hot water
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1½ pounds), trimmed of
excess fat
1 tablespoon salt
450g fresh Chinese egg noodles
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
4 scallions, sliced thin on diagonal
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated on large holes of box grater
First
Toast the sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently,
until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
in a small bowl. In a blender or food processor, puree the remaining 3 tablespoons
sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce,
and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add hot
water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce has the consistency of heavy
cream, about 5 tablespoons; set the mixture aside (it can be left in the blender
jar or food processor workbowl).
Second
Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust
an oven rack to 6 inches from the broiler element; heat the broiler. Spray
the broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; place the chicken breasts
on top and broil the chicken until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using
tongs, flip the chicken over and continue to broil until the thickest part
is no longer pink when cut intor, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board
and let rest 5 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces
and set aside.
Third
Add the salt and noodles to the boiling water; boil the noodles until tender,
about 4 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. Drain, then rinse with
cold running tap water until cool to the touch; drain again. In a large bowl,
toss the noodles with the sesame oil until evenly coated. Add the shredded
chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual
bowls, sprinkle each bowl with a portion of reserved sesame seeds, and serve.