Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

 Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken from America's Test Kitchen

1/4 c. sesame seeds

1/4 c. chunky peanut butter

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 inch (2.5cm) piece fresh ginger, grated or minced

5 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp hot sauce (Tabasco)

2 Tbs brown sugar

~5 Tbs hot water

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds or 680g)

1 Tbs salt

1 lb (454g) fresh Chinese egg noodles or 12 oz (340g) dried spaghetti noodles

2 Tbs sesame oil

4 scallions, sliced thin on the diagonal

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

Toast the sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 Tbs in a small bowl. In a blender or food processor, puree the remaining 3 Tbs sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, add hot water 1 Tbs at a time until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream. 

Bring 6qts water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to 6 inches from the broiler. Spray the pan with cooking spray; place the chicken breasts on top and broil the chicken until lightly browned, 4-8 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken over and continue to broil until the thickest part is no longer pink and temp at the thickest part reads 160°F (71°C) - 6-8minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Add salt and noodles to the boiling water. Boil fresh noodles 4 minutes or dried noodles for 10, until tender. Drain, then rinse with cold water until cool to the touch; drain again. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the sesame oil until evenly coated. Add the shredded chicken, scallions, carrot and sauce; toss to combine. Sprinkle with reserved sesame seeds.

Red chili flakes, coarsely chopped peanuts or cashews, or stir-fried veggies are all other options to add in and make this dish your own!