SERVES 4
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
Creamy peanut butter can be substituted for the chunky peanut butter if necessary.
|
¼ |
cup chunky peanut butter |
|
¼ |
cup sesame seeds, toasted |
|
2 |
garlic cloves, minced |
|
1 |
tablespoon grated fresh ginger |
|
5 |
tablespoons soy sauce |
|
2 |
tablespoons rice vinegar |
|
1 |
teaspoon hot sauce |
|
2 |
tablespoons light brown sugar |
|
½ |
cup hot water |
|
4 |
(6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed |
|
Salt and pepper |
|
|
1 |
pound fresh Chinese noodles or 12 ounces dried linguine or spaghetti |
|
2 |
tablespoons toasted sesame oil |
|
4 |
scallions, sliced thin on bias |
|
1 |
carrot, peeled and grated |
1. Puree peanut butter, 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream (you may not need entire amount of water).
2. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable oil spray. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and lay on prepared pan. Broil chicken until lightly browned and registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken over halfway through broiling time. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces.
3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and drain again, leaving noodles slightly wet. Transfer to large bowl and toss with oil. Add shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and serve.
VARIATION
COLD SESAME NOODLES WITH BROCCOLI
Substitute 12 ounces cooked broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces, for chicken. To cook broccoli, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add broccoli, and cook until spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons water, cover, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.