Denise says:

Chinese New Year 2023 will fall on  Sunday 23 January with the year of the Rabbit. The Chinese celebrate with lots of festive foods -sometimes it is based on appearance and others connect with the Chinese word.  For example, serving a whole chicken during the Chinese New Year season symbolizes family togetherness. Noodles represent and Spring Rolls symbolize wealth their shape is similar to gold bars. We may enjoy Chinese in restaurants or as a take-away – however few of us seem to rise to the challenge of cooking it at home. With this recipe I hope that I can dispel the myth that Chinese is difficult to cook – it really can be both simple and tasty. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 people

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts 100ml white wine ½ cucumber – thinly sliced 12 spring onions – thinly sliced 12 rice pancakes – or 6 little gem lettuces For the dressing 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns – crushed or use 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice or ordinary whole black pepper corns as a last option! 6 tablespoons light soy sauce 6 tablespoons caster sugar 6 tablespoon dry Sherry 6 tablespoons tahini or sesame paste 6 teaspoons smooth peanut butter

Method

1)Pre-heat the oven to 200C /400F/ Gas mark 6. 2)Put the chicken into a covered ovenware dish. Pour over the white wine and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3)Cook the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove from the dish and set aside to cool. 4)Toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan. Crush with a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder. Mix in the remaining dressing ingredients and set aside. 5)Slice the cucumber and spring onions into long strips. 6)Shred the chicken into long thin strips. 7)Arrange the chicken, cucumber and spring onion on a serving plate. 8)Microwave the pancakes for 30 seconds - or arrange the lettuce leaves into little cups. To serve the stylish way: Spread some sauce onto the pancakes and add some chicken, cucumber and spring onion. Roll up and eat. If you are using the lettuce leaves place the bang bang chicken inside the lettuce cups and pour over some sauce.