Chinese Chicken Salad

Serves 4

2  chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on is best)
1 T  soy sauce
1 T  hoisin sauce
1 tsp  sherry
¾ tsp  dried mustard
2 tsp  vegetable oil
2 C  shredded lettuce (iceberg or mixed)
2 ribs  celery
½ tsp  sesame oil
¼ tsp  sesame seeds
2  scallions
1 C  peanut oil
½ C  Chinese rice sticks
¼ C  vinegar
  1. Marinate chicken in soy sauce, hoisin, sherry, mustard, and 1 tsp vegetable oil for 24 hours.
  2. Bake chicken skin-up for 40 minutes in a 400° oven. Add the marinade as it cooks.
  3. Reserve the marinade. Let chicken cool.
  4. Discard the skin and shred the meat. Mix in the reserved marinade.
  5. Heat sesame oil and 1 tsp vegetable oil in small frying pan over low flame. Add sesame seeds and fry until golden. Let cool.
  6. Shred lettuce and set aside.
  7. Preheat 2–3 inches of peanut oil to 350° in a narrow pot. Fry rice sticks, a small handful at a time, for about 3 seconds, until they puff up. Immediately remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Continue until you have an amount of puffed-up rice sticks approximately equal to the volume of the shredded lettuce.
  8. Mince the scallions and celery.
  9. Wait until you are ready to serve the salad. At that point — and not before — combine all the ingredients. Toss thoroughly. Add more vinegar and salt if necessary.