Serves 4 to 6; preparation time only 15 minutes.
¼ cup | sesame seeds | |
¼ cup | chunky peanut butter (or add some peanuts) | |
2 cloves | garlic, fresh minced | |
1 tbsp | ginger, fresh minced | |
5 tbsp | soy sauce | |
2 tbsp | rice vinegar | |
1 tsp | hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) | |
2 tbsp | brown sugar, lightly packed | |
| hot water | |
1½ lb | chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless | |
1 tbsp | salt | |
1 lb | dried Asian noodles (substitute 12 oz dry spaghetti) | |
2 tbsp | sesame oil | |
4 | scallions, sliced thin on diagonal | |
1 medium | carrot, grated |
1. Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tbsp sesame seeds. Puree remaining sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water 1 tbsp at time until sauce has consistency of heavy cream.
2. Bring 6 quarts water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element and preheat. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; place chicken breasts on top and broil until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken over and continue to broil until thickest part registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer (about 6 to 8 minutes more). Transfer to cutting board and rest for 5 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boil noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh (10 minutes for dry spaghetti). Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to touch; drain again.
In large bowl, toss noodles with sesame oil until evenly coated. Add shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with portion of reserved sesame seeds, and serve.