Banbanji is a Chinese-inspired spicy sesame sauce that pairs wonderfully with chilled ramen noodles, a perfect summertime dish. Instead of grilling the chicken in this recipe, which is typical for cold dishes, you sear the skin side, then steam in sake. This results in crispy skin but incredibly moist chicken with a hint of sake flavor. With this technique, the chicken will always remain juicy and tender, even after you cool it. You can store the banbanji sauce in your refrigerator or freezer and use it over and over.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　

Sake-Steamed Chicken

1 boneless chicken breast with skin, cleaned and trimmed

　　1 boneless chicken thigh with skin, cleaned and trimmed

　　Pinch each of kosher salt and pepper

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1/4 cup sake

　　

Banbanji Sauce

1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)

　　2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

　　2 teaspoons tobanjan (Chinese chili paste)

　　4 teaspoons sugar

　　1 tablespoon rice vinegar

　　4 teaspoons sesame oil

　　2 teaspoons minced ginger

　　1 tablespoon sake

　　Dash of hot chili oil

　　1 scallion, both white and green parts, minced

　　

Assembly

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion, both white and green parts

　　4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles

　　1 cup thinly sliced cucumber sticks (2 inches long by 1/4 inch wide)

　　3/4 cup Chukka-Soba Dressing (page 15), chilled

　　

Step 1

To cook the chicken, begin by seasoning both sides of the breast and thigh with salt and pepper. Pour the oil into a pot (the pot should be just large enough for the chicken to lie flat on the bottom without a lot of extra room) and set it over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the chicken skin side down. Cook the chicken until the skin turns golden brown and the meat is halfway cooked through, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken over in the pan and drain the excess oil. Add the sake and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and let the chicken cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit in the pot for a few minutes to finish cooking. Transfer the chicken to a plate and refrigerate until cool.

　　

Step 2

While the chicken is cooling, make the banbanji sauce. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients; mix well. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

To assemble the dish, soak the scallion slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Once the chicken has cooled, slice it into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.

　　

Step 4

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook the noodles, following package instructions. Drain and rinse well under cold running water.

　　

Step 5

Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top each bowl of noodles with one-quarter of the chicken and cucumber, then drizzle 3 tablespoons of the Chukka-Soba Dressing over each bowl followed by 1 1/2 tablespoons of the banbanji sauce. Garnish with the scallions.

　　Takashi's Noodles