THE JAPAN NEWS

 

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Cold chicken is perfect for a light, savory meal or snack in summer when the heat makes you lose your appetite. It is easy to both make and eat.
Cooking expert Hiromi Maki whipped up two dishes with cold chicken, which is steamed or boiled and then chilled in the refrigerator.

“Chicken breast is such a budget-friendly item and can be cooked in a flash to save time on cooking,” she said, adding that the meat is soft even when chilled and a good ingredient to serve in muggy weather.
Maki recommends using skinless meat so the chicken is cooked evenly.
The key to making cold chicken is to not heat it too much, but to allow the heat that lingers in the meat after cooking to tenderize it.
To make cold chicken

Make sure the chicken is at room temperature before starting. Pour four cups of water into a pot, add white wine, consomme powder, a bay leaf and celery. Bring to a boil and add the chicken. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave for about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and cool. Pour the stock into a container, put the chicken in the stock and refrigerate. When you want to use it, drain the meat before cutting into 7- to 8-millimeter-thick slices.

By cooling the chicken in the stock that it was boiled in, the meat remains soft and moist. The chicken can be kept for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Maki uses a 250-gram piece of chicken breast for each of the following recipes.
Hors d’oeuvre

Cut raw ham to the same size as the cold chicken slices. Peel daikon and slice into half-moons. Place the slices of cold chicken, ham and daikon in layers on a plate and serve with baby salad leaves and wholegrain mustard on the side.

 

The mild umami of the chicken makes this hors d’oeuvre taste rich without being greasy. It is a good snack to have with alcoholic drinks. White turnips can be used as an alternative for daikon.
Chinese-style plum sauce salad

Trim the roots of tomyo pea sprouts and cut the sprouts in half. Remove the strings from celery and julienne into 4-centimeter-long pieces. Remove the stem and seeds of yellow bell pepper and cut into strips. Soak the tomyo, celery and yellow bell pepper in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes to make them crisp, then drain. In another bowl, mix mashed ume plum, pureed apricot jam, doubanjiang chili paste and Shaoxing rice wine. Dress the cold chicken in the sauce and toss with the vegetables. Serve on a plate and sprinkle black sesame seeds on top.

The sweet-and-sour sauce goes well with the cold chicken and crisp vegetables. Store-bought dressing and ponzu sauce are good substitutes for the plum sauce. “I recommend using light flavors or sauces with chicken, because it has a delicate flavor,” Hiromi said.