Hacked Chicken

  Posted on May 8, 2012  by Leslie Blythe  2 comments

I’ve been hacked!!! Yesterday, my twitter account was hacked. Of course, when I think of the word hacked, I think of the wonderful Hacked Chicken I used to eat at this amazing Chinese restaurant on the Boston Post Road in Larchmont, New York. My friend, Jessica, and I would always or this dish. It was our most favorite item on the menu. The restaurant was torn down to build a bank in its place. Who wants more banks!? Not me! What a tragedy!  By the way, the picture is how I feel about hackers….

Hacked Chicken

Serves 6

1 Tbs Sichuan peppercorns
1½ cups peanut oil
2¼ lbs chicken breasts
9 Tbs peanut butter
3 Tbs sesame oil
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs white vinegar
4 tsp cayenne (or less, to taste)
4½ tsp ginger, minced
5 tsp scallions, chopped
5 tsp garlic, minced
2 to 4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Fry the Sichuan peppercorns in the oil for 15 minutes. Discard the peppercorns, and reserve 4½ tablespoons of oil for this recipe. (Save remainder for another purpose.)

Skin and bone the chicken, then plunge it into boiling water and simmer till just barely cooked through, about 5 minutes. Cut into ¼-inch-thick strips 3 inches long.

Combine the peanut butter and sesame oil till smooth. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the cilantro.

Add 2 teaspoons of the red pepper flakes and then taste, adding up to 2 more according to your tolerance. Then add as much of your newly made Sichuan oil as necessary to make a sauce that isn’t overly oily.

Arrange the chicken on a platter, spoon the sauce over it. Serve at room temperature.