Shanghai-Style Chicken Breast Salad

上海风味鸡胸肉沙拉

Shanghai-Style Chicken Breast Salad — Home-styleShanghai home cooking.

Ingredients

• boneless, skinless chicken breast
• cucumber, julienned
• romaine lettuce, torn
• rice vinegar
• toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Place chicken breast in a small pot; cover with cold water by 2 cm. Add 1 tsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (optional). Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. (Small bubbles rise steadily around edges, not rolling boil.)
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and poach gently for 12 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest, covered, for 10 more minutes. (Chicken is fully opaque with no pink near bone line (though boneless).)
3. Drain chicken, rinse briefly under cool water, then pat dry. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes — this firms texture for clean shredding. (Surface feels cool and slightly tacky, not wet.)
4. Shred chilled chicken crosswise into 2-mm-wide strips using two forks or fingers. Place in a large bowl. (Strips are even, springy, and separate cleanly—not mushy or clumped.)
5. Add cucumber and romaine. Whisk rice vinegar, sesame oil, ¼ tsp white pepper, and ½ tsp salt. Pour over salad and toss gently with chopsticks. (Dressing coats ingredients evenly but doesn’t pool at bottom.)