Chinese Hunan Chicken

1 two-lb chicken
10 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
Seasoning sauce: 2 Tbsp sesame paste [or subst unsalted peanut butter]
1 Tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil [dark kind]
1 tsp chili oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp crushed Szechuan peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
3 Tbsp shredded green onion
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
3 Tbsp chopped Chinese parsley [cilantro; optional]
1 1/2 tsp chili powder [cayenne pepper]
1 sliced cucumber
Noodles [Cook 1 lb fresh Chinese egg noodles and toss with 1 Tbsp sesame oil.]
Cook chicken in a large saucepan of boiling water 30 to 40 minutes. Remove, let cool. Remove bones. Shred chicken with a cleaver. Combine with water chestnuts. Mix ingredients for seasoning sauce in a small bowl. Pour over chicken and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, peel and halve cucumber; scoop out seeds. Cut cucumber halves in diagonal slices. Arrange on a platter with chicken mixture. Serve with noodles. Makes 4 servings.