Sous vide is the modern way to prepare this Sichuan classic without the hassle.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Recipe It | 2016-06-24 13:23:09 |  656 Views |
Recipe for Hot and Numbing Sichuan Chicken Salad Bang Bang Ji Si
Serious Mealtimes / J. Kenji López-Alt
If the results of a Google search are to be trusted most people who hear the term “bang bang chicken” think of a Cheesecake Factory concoction of fried chicken and shrimp rice with a generic pan-Asian creamy coconut-chili-soy-peanut-lime sauce that while arguably delicious is similar to the original Sichuan bang bang chicken only because they both contain chicken. I’m familiar with this strategy of co-opting ethnic-sounding food words. I once worked for a similar restaurant chain where we served seared tuna with a “ponzu dipping sauce” made with sesame oil soy sauce and ginger a far cry from real ponzu made with citrus juices and dashi. I only lasted a few months at that job.
Real bang bang ji si gets its name from the sound a hammer makes as the tough chicken fillets of yesteryear are pounded into tender submission before being dressed in a sauce flavored with Sichuan peppercorns garlic sesame seeds Chinkiang vinegar and roasted chili oil. The flavor profile isn’t all that different from many other classic Sichuan snacks like Sichuan wontons or Dan Dan noodles but the real key is the texture of that chicken. The pounding allows it to soak up juices from the sauce turning dry chewy meat moist and flavorful.
