2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Cranberry Plum Dipping Sauce, recipe follows
36 (4-inch) wooden skewers or toothpicks
Watercress or parsley for garnish

Marinade
1 piece fresh peeled ginger, about the size of a quarter
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 green onions, cut in quarters
1/3 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce

To marinate: Remove fat and any cartilage from chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces; place in a heavy plastic zipper bag. Place ginger and garlic in a food processor with the metal blade. Add remaining ingredients and process until blended. Pour over chicken and marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours, turning once or twice.

To prepare: Thread 2 pieces of chicken on each skewer. (The skewers can be frozen up to one week. Defrost in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before baking.)

To bake: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil. Place sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Dip one side of chicken into seeds and place seed side up on foil. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until cooked thorugh.

To serve: Place sauce in bowl on platter, arrange skewers spoke-style around it and garnish with watercress or parsley sprigs. Makes about 36 skewers.

2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 slices peeled fresh ginger, each about the size of a quarter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
1 can (8 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese plum sauce
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Chinese chili paste, to taste

In a food processor with the metal blade, process garlic and ginger until minced. Add remaining ingredients and process until combined. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate several hours for the flavors to blend. (The sauce may be refrigerated up to 1 month.) Makes 1 cup sauce.

Because the marinade and the sauce for the chicken use many of the same ingredients, it’s convenient to make them at the same time.