Movie-Atonement

A little bit long but the ending deserves the wait.

3 *

Asian Shredded Chicken

I prepared this entree for a family dinner.

Asian Shredded Chicken


The Washington Post, December 26, 2007
• Cuisine: Asian
• Course: Main Course

Summary:

In its infinite variability, this bright-tasting salad is one you can make uniquely your own. Prefer button mushrooms to shiitakes? Substitute. Don't like red bell peppers? Omit. Want more of a lime kick? Grate in some zest. Have shrimp on hand instead of chicken? Enough said; you get the idea.This must be prepared several hours, preferably a day, in advance to allow the flavors to develop.

4 to 6 main-course servings

Ingredients:

For the dressing and dipping sauce
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2 limes)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil For the chicken
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water, or a combination
• 1 3-inch piece ginger root, thinly sliced, plus 1 teaspoon minced ginger root
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 cups julienne-cut carrots (from the grocery store salad bar)
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced thin
• 6 scallions, white and green parts, cut crosswise into thirds, then lengthwise into julienne strips
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper For the chicken
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves, to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped unsalted or lightly salted peanuts, for garnish (optional)
• Soft-leafed lettuce or summer roll wrappers, for serving (optional)

Directions:

For the dressing and dipping sauce:
Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, crushed red pepper flakes and sesame oil in a medium bowl.

For the chicken:
Pour 1 1/2 inches of chicken broth into a deep medium skillet or medium saucepan large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Add the slices of ginger and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and reduce the heat to low. Cook, adjusting the heat so that the water moves but does not boil and turning the pieces over once, for 8 to 12 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a plate to cool; discard the ginger slices and reserve the broth. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, tear it into fine shreds and place in a large mixing bowl.
While the chicken is cooling, add the carrots to the hot broth and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to soften slightly. Transfer to a colander, rinse quickly with cool water, drain well and pat dry.
Cut the red bell pepper into quarters, trim off the curved ends and slice into very thin, straight julienne. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until they are golden. Add the scallions, red bell pepper, garlic and salt and pepper to taste; cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until the scallions and peppers are just softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add the carrots, cilantro, minced ginger and mushroom mixture to the bowl of cooled, shredded chicken, then add two-thirds of the dressing and toss well. Chill overnight or for at least 6 hours. When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Top with the chopped peanuts. Serve the chicken with lettuce leaves or summer roll wrappers for wrapping if desired, and use the remaining dressing for dipping.

Recipe Source:
Adapted from a recipe in the May 2001 issue of Gourmet.
186 calories, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat, 43mg cholesterol, 572mg sodium, 9g carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 22g protein.
Tested by Jane Touzalin for The Washington Post.E-mail the Food Section at food@washpost.com with recipe questions.

First of First

This is my first post on my new personl blog.

After maintaining a web presence since the late Nineties at www.rouai.com, it is time to move and start blogging.

Posts will cover new web discoveries, movies, books, travels, cooking, and Aidan and Jasmin, my grandchildren.

SdiG