Sichuan strange flavour chicken
Chinese Cooking Demystified · ♥ 3.7K likes · 135.2K views · 5 min video
Read about thighs in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- ½ kg chicken thigh
- 2 inches smashed ginger
- 10 sprigs scallion, white part only
- 1–2 tbsp liao jiu (Shaoxing wine)
- water
Put the smashed ginger, scallion whites and Shaoxing wine into a pot of cool water, nestle in the chicken, cover and bring to a boil. The cold water start makes for more tender chicken.
- 1 tbsp chili flakes
- 4 tbsp hongyou (Sichuan red chili oil)
Let it come down to room temperature in the liquid, at least two to three hours and up to eight. This makes the meat juicier and lets the flavour infuse.
- ½ tbsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp MSG
- 2 tbsp dark Chinese vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tbsp sesame paste
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 10 sprigs scallion greens
Toast the whole Sichuan peppercorns over medium low heat two to three minutes, until light oil splotches form in the pan, then grind them to a fine powder in a mortar or a coffee grinder.
Combine the salt, sugar and MSG with the soy sauce and vinegar and mix about a minute until dissolved.
The order of mixing the sauce
Mix in the chili flakes, the Sichuan peppercorn powder and the sesame paste, making sure the sesame paste breaks apart and incorporates.
Mix in the minced garlic, ginger and scallion greens, then finally the sesame oil and chili oil.
- 100 g mung bean sprouts
Blanch the mung bean sprouts about 20 seconds, then rinse to stop the cooking and set aside.
Take the cooled chicken out and leave it to dry off at least fifteen minutes.
Shred the chicken over the bean sprouts in the serving bowl, as small and stringy as possible, or use a fork.
- 2 sprigs scallion whites
Smother the sauce over everything and top with julienned scallion whites.