Sichuanese picnic rolls — a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe

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A Sichuanese feast almost always begins with a spread of cold dishes, including cooked meats and salady vegetables dipped or tossed in a variety of seasonings. Classics of the genre include bang bang chicken, smacked cucumbers and sliced beef offal in chilli oil. Such dishes also make spectacular additions to a more international meal. I often serve them, for example, alongside Middle Eastern meze and Italian antipasti or as part of an English Boxing Day lunch.

It turns out that some Sichuanese cold dishes also make fabulous sandwich stuffing — as I discovered when trying to cheer up outdoor meetings during pandemic lockdowns. The following recipe was first eaten in Epping Forest in the bleak winter of 2020 when a friend and I chased the rolls down with slices of very English Battenberg cake from a tea stall in the car park.

The stuffing is a version of bang bang chicken paired with a sprightly salad of shredded vegetables. The chicken is seasoned with a beguiling combination of spicy, nutty, salty, sweet, sour and tingling tastes. The sesame paste thickens the sauce and holds everything together like mayonnaise, and the sweet-sour vegetables make a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the meat. You can make the fillings a day in advance and simply stuff and wrap the rolls before you head outdoors.

I like to use small, soft rolls which are easy to eat while standing in a field or sprawling on a blanket, but you could equally choose floury baps or even sandwich bread. If you’re not meat-eaters, replace the chicken with slivers of smoked or spiced firm tofu.

Sichuanese picnic rolls

Serves 2 as a main meal or 4-8 with other picnic food

For the main filling

For the vegetables

1. Place the vegetables in a bowl. Cut the chicken or tofu into thin strips. Mix in the salt and leave for at least 30 minutes. Then squeeze tightly and drain off any water that has emerged. Mix in the sugar and vinegar then set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Shred the chicken (using a fork) or tofu (using a grater).

3. Place the sesame paste in a mixing bowl. Add a little of the soy sauce and mash until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the soy sauce, making sure everything is well blended. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients. Add the chicken or tofu and mix gently to coat in the sauce.

4. Split open the rolls and stuff with the chicken mixture and the vegetables. Pack into a lunchbox or wrap in baking parchment paper.

Fuchsia Dunlop is a cook and the author of “The Food of Sichuan”

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