Ma-La Cold Chicken

麻辣雞絲

Preparation info
  • Serves

    2–3

    as a main course .
    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in

By Barbara Tropp

Published 1982

  • About

I discovered this jewel in a tiny, unpretentious restaurant on one of my interminable food treasure hunts through San Francisco’s Chinatown. It is a playful variation on a classic Szechwanese cold dish, a lovely example of the art of yin and yang. Striking and light enough for a nouvelle cuisine dinner, it also makes a satisfying lunch.

  • Ma-La means “numbing and spicy,” the qualities of the Szechwan peppercorns and red chili infused in the oil. The