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Chinese Sesame Noodles with Chicken

By
Andrew Chase
  • Low sodium
  • Low fat
  • Lactose free
  • Peanut free
Everybody loves cold noodles with sesame sauce. Although they are a specialty of northern and central China, they are served all over the country. Use leftover or deli-roasted chicken for this dish, or poach some skin-on and bone-in pieces, then cool, skin and shred the meat. Chinese or Japanese sesame paste is made from roasted seeds so it's richer tasting than tahini, but the latter is a good substitute. Garlic lovers (as are most people in northern China) should use three cloves of garlic in the sauce. Most Chinese add a little hot sauce and vinegar to their noodles; some even add more minced garlic macerated in vinegar.

Ingredients

  • 8 cups  (2 L)  finely shredded napa cabbage
  • 1 tsp  (5 mL)  salt
  • 3/4 cups  (175 mL)  julienned daikon radish or 1 bunch red radishes, thinly sliced
  • 4 stalks celery, halved
  • 1 lb  (500 g)  Chinese wheat noodles or linguine
  • 1 tbsp  (15 mL)  sesame oil
  • 3 cups  (750 mL)  shredded cooked boneless skinless chicken
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Chinese hot sauce or chili oil
  • rice vinegar
  • Sesame Sauce:
  • 3/4 cups  (150 mL)  Chinese or Japanese sesame paste or tahini
  • 1/4 cup  (60 mL)  rice or cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp  (45 mL)  sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp  (30 mL)  soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp  (15 mL)  granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp  (15 mL)  hot mustard
  • 1/4 tsp  (1 mL)  salt
  • 1/4 tsp  (1 mL)  ground roasted Sichuan (Szechuan) pepper or white pepper
  • 2 or 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Preparation

Sesame Sauce: In large bowl, mix together sesame paste, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, mustard, salt, Sichuan pepper and 1/3 cup/75 mL water until smooth; stir in garlic. Set aside.

In bowl, toss cabbage with 3/4 tsp/4 mL of the salt.

In separate bowl, toss radish with remaining salt. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. By hand, squeeze out and discard liquid from cabbage and radish; set aside.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, blanch celery for 30 seconds; remove with tongs, chill under cold water and drain. Add noodles to pot; boil until tender but firm, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice celery on angle; set aside. Drain and chill noodles under cold running water; drain well, to remove all surface starch, and place in large shallow bowl or separate noodle bowls. Add sesame oil; toss to coat.

Top with Sesame Sauce; arrange cabbage, celery, chicken, radish and green onions on top. Toss to coat noodles with Sesame Sauce just before serving. Serve with hot sauce and vinegar on side.

Makes 6 servings.

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