Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

No, this isn’t an overwhelmingly summery Martha’s Vineyard dinner. My goal was to feed the whole family, young and old, have leftovers to eat cold during humid lunch time the next day, and fulfill my almost constant craving for peanuty sesame noodles. This dinner did all those things and was even more delicious then it looked on paper.

We are eagerly awaiting the opening of The Fair on Thursday. Dylan went to visit the site this morning and saw farmers and carnival workers setting up the horse stalls, zippy car rides, and strawberry shortcake booth. Between his fair excitement and new found love of the outdoor shower, this kid is really digging August.

Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

serves 4 to 6

Sauce

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

5 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon hot sauce

5 tablespoons hot water

Chicken & Noodles

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 pound fresh Chinese noodles or 12 ounces dried spaghetti (I used wheat udon noodles; leave out for vegetarian)

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

1 carrot, grated

1. For the Sauce: Puree 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, and hot sauce in blender or food processor, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream.

2. For the Chicken & Noodles: Bring 6 quarts water to boil in large pot. Position oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Rub broiler pan with vegetable oil, place chicken breasts on top, and broil until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken over and continue to broil until meat registers to 160 to 165 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside.

3. Add noodles and salt to boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh or 10 minutes for dried. Drain, then rinse under cold water until cool. Drain again, transfer to large bowl, add sesame oil, and toss to coat. Add shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce and toss to combine. Divide among bowls, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and serve.

PS. just learned why we call these the “dog days of summer”