Bon Bon Chicken

Over the last few years, we have become a Sunday Roast kind of family. My father is English, so you would think that it would just be in the blood, but no, up until recently I couldn't cook a roast to save my life. Enter my digital meat thermometer as a wedding present, and life changed. This is one of the recipes I like to make with leftover chicken. It's a family classic from my childhood, and as a kid, we often made Bon Bon Turkey the day after Thanksgiving.

Bon Bon Chicken

1¼ pounds skinned, boned chicken or leftover cooked chicken, shredded

1 cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon salt

2 oz bean noodles or other type of noodles (sometimes I use spaghetti, sometimes rice noodles)

3 cups hot water

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon Szechwan pepper

½ teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root

Seasoning sauce:

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chili Oil

4 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

4 1/2 teaspoons sesame paste or peanut butter

 

Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil in large saucepan; reduce heat to medium. Add chicken.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove chicken and let cool, reserving broth in saucepan. 

Sprinkle cucumber slices with salt and let stand about 15 minutes.  Squeeze slices to remove water.  Arrange on a platter. 

If using bean noodles or rice noodles, soak noodles in 3 cups hot water for 5 minutes to soften.  Bring chicken broth to a boil. Dip noodles in boiling broth 3 to 5 seconds; drain well and arrange on top of cucumbers. If using pasta, boil pasta according to instructions.

Remove bones from chicken and chop into 2" shreds.  Place chicken shreds on top of noodles.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger root. 

Combine ingredients for seasoning sauce in a small bowl; mix well.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Serve at room temperature.  Toss at the table just before serving.

Recipe from:  Chinese Cookery, a very old cookbook of my father's