Cold peanut noodle salad with poached chicken, cucumber and scallion curls

Put a chicken thigh and two chicken tenders into cold water with two slices of ginger and a little leek; bring to a boil, then down to a simmer.

Halve the scallions and slice very thinly on a sharp bias; pick the cilantro.

Seed and core the jalapeno and cut into a julienne.

Drop the scallions and peppers into a bowl of ice water so they absorb water unevenly and curl.

Cut a flat side off the cucumber, cut into thin planks, stack and julienne.

Put the cucumber and cilantro in a big bowl.

In a smaller bowl, loosen the peanut butter with a couple tablespoons of the hot poaching water; add chili oil, black vinegar, light soy sauce and a splash of sambal.

Skim the scum from the poaching water, since the noodles cook in it.

Check the chicken: barely cooked through, up to about 155F; remove.

Top up the pot with hot water and bring to a boil; boil the fresh noodles, stirring so they do not clump.

variation: for Western pasta, add about a half to one teaspoon of baking soda per quart of boiling water for a chewy, bouncy alkaline texture.

Add about a quarter teaspoon of MSG to the sauce.

Add a splash of the starchy noodle water to the sauce; drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Put the warm noodles into the big bowl with the sauce; pull the chicken apart with two forks, discard excess fat, and add it.

Add the curled scallions without the ice and toss; the watery sauce thickens and clings as it cools, leaving the noodles loose.

Taste; add a little more salt and vinegar. Serve with a final drizzle of chili oil.