Bang-bang chicken is a street vendor's dish from the Szechuan region of China. The name comes from the pounding of the chicken, which is both tenderized and shredded with a heavy wooden stick called a bon, hence its alternative name of bon-bon chicken. Like much street cuisine, it is speedy and simple. In the original version, the chicken is simply simmered and then pounded into shreds. While it cooks, the characteristic nutty flavored sauce is made by softening sesame paste with a little of the cooking broth and then blending in Chinese sesame oil, soy, rice vinegar, chili oil, and a touch of sugar. Savory sesame paste is strong, beautifully aromatic and much used in Szechuan cooking. However, many recipes substitute either tahini or smooth peanut butter, in which case extra sesame oil should be added to intensify the flavor-Chinese sesame oil is much more pungent than the Middle Eastern variety.

The dish is assembled by shredding lettuce leaves and strewing over them some carrot, red onion, and fine strips of scallion or cucumber. The shredded chicken is laid on top and the hot, slightly sweet-and-sour sauce is drizzled over the top.

Place the chicken in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, until cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Once cool, beat the skin side lightly with a rolling pin to loosen the fibers. Now remove the skin and shred the chicken meat with your fingers.

Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, sesame paste, sesame oil, chili oil, sugar, and ground Szechuan peppercorn. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Sprinkle the scallion strips over the top and then the shredded chicken. Pour the sauce over the top and serve. Serves 2