Bang Bang Crispy Chicken

Serves 3 or 4

This chicken dish from China’s Sichuan province is “bang bang chicken” (sometimes translated as “bon bon chicken”), adapted from “Sheet Pan Chicken” by Cathy Erway (Ten Speed Press). The name describes the wooden stick used to bang on the chicken after it’s been cooked. Why bang on the chicken? It will help you quickly tear the chicken into delicate shreds. That shredded meat is placed in a serving dish, and a tangy, spicy and slightly sweet sauce is poured over it, working its way into all the nooks and crannies and getting totally absorbed by the chicken. You could substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts or any bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Chicken

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or any other bone-in, skin-on piece

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

Sauce

2 tablespoons Crispy Chile Oil (see below), or more to taste

1 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste (optional)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil ¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup Chinese black vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned

To finish

Steamed rice; cooked Asian wheat noodles, soba noodles, or bean thread noodles; or shredded lettuce

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned

½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

2 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias

1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped

To make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rub the chicken with the sesame oil, salt and white pepper. Gently slide your finger underneath the skin of each breast to loosen it from the meat a bit (this will encourage the skin to crisp up in the oven). Place the chicken on a sheet pan, skin-side up. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken skin is nicely crisped and a kitchen thermometer inserted into a breast registers 160 degrees F.

To make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the chile oil, optional sesame paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger.

Transfer the pan to a flat surface — one that’s heatproof or protected with hot pads. Slowly press down on each chicken piece with a rolling pin and roll along its length so the meat breaks and shreds apart a bit. If preferred, remove and discard the bones. Scrape the pan to collect any browned bits and juices and add them to your sauce.

Place the rice, noodles or shredded lettuce in a large serving dish and set the banged-up chicken pieces on top; otherwise, put the chicken directly in the serving dish. Scatter the cucumber over the chicken, then pour the sauce all over. Top with the peanuts (if using), scallions and cilantro.

Lizzie Munroe