Sichuan Chili Chicken

Sichuan Chili Chicken

Spice with everything nice!

Ingredients:

1 lbs boneless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns

4 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine

1 tsp white sugar

1 cup plain flour

Vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

5 cm-piece ginger, peeled and sliced into fine strips

10 dried long red chillies, cut into thirds, seeds discarded

5 spring onions (scallions), cut into 3cm batons

Marinade:

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl with the chicken.​ Let marinate for at least 1 hr. Make the stir-fry sauce by mixing together the soy sauce, Chinese Shaoxing wine and sugar. Set stir-fry sauce aside.

  2. Put Sichuan peppercorns in a dry frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Toast the peppercorns, shaking the pan regularly, until they are aromatic and just starting to smoke. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder.

  3. Add 1 to 2 cups of vegetable oil to a saucepan or wok and heat of medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot cook the chicken in batches until golden and cooked through (about 3-4 minutes). Drain on a paper towel.

  4. Heat 1-2 tbsps of oil in a clean wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Then add the ginger and dried chillies. After the mixture become fragrant, add the cooked chicken, Sichuan pepper powder, spring onions and the stir-fry sauce mixture. Stir-fry until well combined. Remove from heat and serve with white rice.