Szechuan beaten chicken

serves 4
ingredients
2 chicken quarters
1 cucumber, seeded if necessary
and cut into matchsticks
For the sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped
spring onions
1 teaspoon red chilli oil
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons smooth peanut
butter, creamed with a little
sesame oil (see note)
• Bring 1 litre/13⁄4pt water to a rolling boil in a wok or a large heavy
saucepan. Add the chicken quarters, reduce the heat, cover and poach
for 30–35 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the wok or pan, and immerse in a bowl of cold
water for at least 1 hour to cool, ready for shredding.
• Remove the chicken pieces from the bowl, drain and pat dry with kitchen
paper. Take the meat off the bones. On a flat work surface, pound the
chicken with a rolling pin, then tear the meat into shreds using two forks.
Mix the chicken with the cucumber, and arrange in a serving dish.
• To serve, mix together all the sauce ingredients until thoroughly
combined, and pour over the chicken and cucumber in the serving dish.
Note Sesame oil is very pungent and strong-tasting, so a little of it goes a
long way. Use sparingly, adding just a very little at a time, when creaming
with the peanut butter, so that it does not overpower the other flavours. You
should not need more than a teaspoon or so.