[RECIPE] Bang Bang Chicken

The following guest article was submitted by Judi Gamble of “Chinese Traditions and Culture.com”, with background information from wikipedia.com.

The Chinese Quest welcomes original articles pertaining to the Chinese dining experience.  Your article should pertain to Chinese restaurants, Chinese food, etc.  For more information, please contact us.

“Bang Bang Chicken”
a favorite Chinese chicken dish

Bang Bang Chicken (also known as Bang Bang Ji (棒棒鸡) and Bon Bon Chicken) is a very popular dish in China. The name Bang Bang chicken is derived from the manner in which the meat is tenderized using a stick or hammer to hit, or bang it.  According to a legend in Ming and Qing dynasties, there was a dedicated chef in the remote areas of Ya’an who enjoys experimenting with foods. After studying and practicing the art of soup-mixing for a long time, he successfully invented a formula to produce aromatic chicken meat and broth. However, because of the low productivity, chicken was a luxury to enjoy and was only served on holidays.

Someone came up with a strategy: cut the whole chicken into thin slices and sell it by slice. This strategy proved to be very effective, and “chicken slices” gained a good reputation. However, another problem occurred: a kitchen knife could not cut a whole chicken into slices evenly, and customers are often picky when making purchases. However, it was found that beating the chicken into pieces with a giant stick would solve this problem. At the same time, juice broth infuses into the chicken and adds flavor. When preparing the dish, one holds a stick and another holds a knife; the sound made by the stick and the knife striking each other has a rhythmic, almost musical quality, hence the name “Bang Bang chicken”.

Recipe for Bang Bang Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken meat
• a few drops of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame paste
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chicken stock
• ½ tsp salt
• pinch of sugar
• 8 tbsp shredded lettuce leaves
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in a pan of cold water, then bring to a boil and let simmer for 8-10 minutes.
2. Drain and let cool a little, then cut or tear the chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. Mix together the sesame oil, sesame paste, light soy sauce, chicken stock, salt and sugar and whisk until the sauce is thick and smooth.
4. Toss in the chicken.

To serve, put the shredded lettuce on a large place and spoon the chicken and sauce on top. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve at room temperature.

The Chinese Quest welcomes original articles pertaining to the Chinese dining experience.  Your article should pertain to Chinese restaurants, Chinese food, etc.  For more information, please contact us.

Please share this article if you enjoyed it!