Málà Chicken Mixian

Rice Noodles, Ghost Chicken, Spicy Soy, Cucumber, Ponzu, Pickled Tomato, Crispy Shallots

Chef Simone Tong of Little Tong Noodle Shop | New York
Yield: 4 servings

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Adapted by StarChefs | February 2019

INGREDIENTS:

Chile Paste: 
3 red long hot chiles
2 red Thai chiles
1 red serrano chile
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar

Spicy Soy:
1 cup Kikkoman tamari 

Ghost Chicken:
2 teaspoons salt
2 organic chicken breasts
6 cups chicken stock
1 bunch green onions, coarsely chopped
1 knob ginger, coarsely chopped
1⁄4 cup Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons finely chopped pickled red onions, plus 2 teaspoons pickled red onion juice 
3 teaspoons pickled mustard seeds
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons Little Tong chile oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped Thai basil
Juice of ½ lime

Cucumber:
1 hothouse cucumber, ends trimmed, quartered,  cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt

To Assemble and Serve:
1 teaspoon Kikkoman ponzu sauce 
1 teaspoon Little Tong chile oil
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn oil 
1 pound cooked rice noodles, chilled
Small diced pickled green tomatoes
Finely chopped shiso leaves
Crispy shallots
Chilled chicken broth

METHOD:

For the Chile Paste:
Wearing gloves, halve chiles lengthwise and scrape seeds, reserving 1 teaspoon seeds from each chile variety for the Spicy Soy. Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine all ingredients. 

For the Spicy Soy:
In a glass jar, steep reserved chile seeds with soy sauce. Rest at least 1 day or up to 3 months in refrigerator. 

For the Ghost Chicken:
In a nonreactive container, dissolve salt in 2 cups water. Submerge chicken in brine and refrigerator 2 hours; drain. In a medium pot, combine stock, green onions, ginger, and Shaoxing wine; bring to boil. Add chicken, return to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Turn off heat and rest 17 minutes. Chill and shred chicken. In a bowl, toss to combine chicken with remaining ingredients, along with 3 teaspoons Chile Paste.

For the Cucumber:
In a bowl, combine cucumbers and salt; chill.   

To Assemble and Serve:
In a large serving bowl, combine 1 teaspoon Spicy Soy, ponzu, chile oil, and Szechuan peppercorn oil. Stir in rice noodles to coat. Top with 1 cup Ghost Chicken, Cucumbers, green tomato pickles, shiso, and shallots. From the side of the bowl (so the shallots don’t get soggy), pour in chicken broth.

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