Banbanji, hiyamugi and fruit chu-hi. (Chinese chicken’n noodles)

Ban-ban ji… ban-ban chicken. It’s when the meat is so tenderly cooked that you knock “ban ban” on the table and meat gets away from bones and skin.

The chicken was put in cold water with its skin (no bone as it’s just breast, but legs do wonders too), with chunks of fresh ginger and old leaves of leeks. Brought to boil very softly in 20 minutes, simmered 40 more minutes. Then let on the stove to cool. Refreshed in the fridge. That gives a really tender meat.

I already showed those colored noodles “hiyamugi” (ice-wheat… wheat noodle, to be eaten cooled).

Served with the noodles, cucumber, chili pepper, sudachi lemon… The drink is iced Jasmine tea.

Sauce in the mortar : white sesame, garlic, black vinegar, miso, water. Some add sugar.

Oh, I have bought shochu schnaps for my cherries… It’s an alcohol of sweet potato not very strong (by French standards), but some guys drink lots of it. It’s very popular in my shitamachi (“ghetto”), easier to find than sake.
I wanted to try it a little. Mmmm, that will do the job for the fruits. I am not a fan of it.

It’s good to make “chu-hi” cocktail like those they serve to girls like me, in izakaya restaurants. A little sochu, lots of ice, fruit juice. For the juice, I took a sudachi lemon. Added 2 cherries and a litchi, let the ice melt. Good “light” apero.