Chicken, Scallion, and Red Pepper Cylinders

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Flatten the chicken breasts between sheets of wax paper until they are slightly less than 1/4 inch thick, arrange them skin side down, and halve them lengthwise. With the cut side of the breast facing you arrange 1 of the scallions parallel to the cut side, flank the section with a line of the red pepper slices, and beginning with the cut side roll up the chicken. Trim the ends of the scallion and transfer the cylinder seam side down to a large baking dish. Make 7 more cylinders in the same manner.

2. Make the marinade:

   Step 2

   In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, the vinegar, and the sugar and stir the marinade until the sugar is dissolved.

   Step 3

   Pour the marinade over the cylinders, turn the cylinders carefully to coat them with it, and let them marinate for 20 minutes. Remove the cylinders, 1 at a time, from the marinade and wrap each one securely in Saran Wrap. (The cylinders may be made up to 1 day ahead and kept wrapped in the plastic wrap and chilled.) In a kettle steam the cylinders on a rack set over boiling water, covered for 5 minutes, oruntil they are firm to the touch, let them cool, and chill them for at least 2 hours or overnight. Peel off the plastic wrap trim the ends diagonally and cut the cylinders diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Turn the cylinders cut side up and arrange them decoratively on platter.