Angel Hair Pasta with Steamed Chicken
The secret to this cool, summertime dish? Steaming the chicken. When you steam chicken, it stays moist and juicy even if you serve it cold. And caramelizing the skin beforehand adds lots of wonderful flavor. These are both techniques I borrow from Chinese cuisine. The angel hair pasta in this dish plays the same role as somen noodles: not too chewy or overwhelming when enjoyed cold.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the skin turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the oil, leaving the chicken in the pot, and return it to high heat. Turn the chicken thighs over and add the sake. Decrease the heat to low and cover the pot to steam. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and refrigerate until cool, about 20 minutes. Once the chicken has cooled, slice very thin. Set aside.
Step 2
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta and cook, following package instructions. Once cooked through, rinse the pasta well under cold running water until the noodles are cold. Drain and divide among 4 shallow bowls.
Step 3
Top each bowl of pasta with one-fourth of the cucumbers, then the chicken, cherry tomatoes, umeboshi, obha leaves, mustard, and cold soba broth. Enjoy cold.
