Ingredients
Chicken and Cabbage
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb 5 oz/600g)
4 tsp Shaoxing wine
10g ginger (peeled and finely grated, about ⅓ oz)
2 tsp peanut oil
1 large Chinese cabbage (napa or wombok), thinly sliced (about 4½ cups/400g)
1 cup (20g) basil leaves, torn
6 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal (about ¾ cup/60g)
1–2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve
Salt
Peanut Rayu
1 cup (240ml) peanut oil or other flavorless oil
3 tbsp chile flakes (ideally Korean gochugaru, or an equal mix of regular chile flakes and Aleppo pepper flakes)
Note- I used Italian pepper flakes and this may have been a bit too hot, so maybe 2 tbsp?)
Scant 1 cup (120g) unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped in a food processor
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
⅓ cup (35g) sesame seeds
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp flaked sea salt
Instructions
Make the Peanut Rayu:
Put the oil and chile flakes into a small pan and place over medium-low heat.
When the oil starts simmering, add the peanuts, garlic, and sesame seeds. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Add soy sauce, sugar, and flaked sea salt, then set aside to cool and decant into a sealed jar. (Ideally make a day ahead; it keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge.)
Prepare the Chicken:
Half an hour before cooking, remove chicken breasts from the fridge to bring to room temperature.
When ready to cook, fill a large pot (with tight-fitting lid) with 6⅓ cups (1½ liters) of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, add chicken breasts, stir quickly, cover with lid, and turn off heat. Let sit, undisturbed, for 1 hour.
Strain chicken and discard poaching liquid.
Finish the Dish:
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and tear chicken into long shreds. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Add Shaoxing wine, ginger, peanut oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.
Just before serving, add sliced cabbage and most of the basil. Toss well to combine.
Transfer to a serving plate and spoon peanut rayu on top.
Finish with green onions and remaining basil leaves.
Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
The key technique is poaching chicken in just-boiled water at room temperature for 1 hour; ensure the chicken is not cold or it will not cook through properly.
Peanut rayu adds rich, aromatic flavor and can be used over other dishes like eggs, noodles, or celery.
Serves 4.
