Sichuan Chili Chicken

Prep: 20minCooking: 4-7 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:

• 150g chicken cut into small cubes
• ½ tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. Shaoxing Rice wine (Dry Sherry can be substituted)
• 1 tsp. Corn starch
• 1 tsp. Sesame oil

• 1 tsp. Chili paste (a Sambal Olek styled paste is best)

Vegetables:

• 5-10 dried chillies (halved with stem & seeds discarded)
• ½ tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp. ginger sliced thinly
• 1 tsp. garlic minced
• 1 small onion cut in half, quartered, and halved again.
• 1 small Capsicum cut into small squares

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp. Sugar (brown is best but white is fine)
• 1 Tbsp. Chilli powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Chicken stock powder
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
• 1 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar (Balsamic can be substituted)
• 1 tsp. Chilli paste (a Sambal Olek styled paste is best)
• About 1 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp. Sesame oil

Method:

1. Add the sauce ingredients in the order listed to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
2. In a dry wok roast ½ tsp. of Sichuan Peppercorns for about 30 seconds under low heat till aromatic, and then add to chicken in a bowl. Follow by adding the remaining marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare rice in a rice cooker.
3. When the rice has only about 7 minutes till it’s ready, add some oil to the wok and add the dry chillies followed by ½ tsp. Sichuan Peppercorns under low heat only until the colour deepens, then remove to a bowl leaving the oil behind in the wok.
4. Add the ginger & garlic to the wok raising the heat to high. Stir briskly for 15 seconds then add onion. Stir & toss briskly helping the onion pieces separate for a minute then add capsicum while stirring a further 30 seconds. Add a splash of Shaoxing Rice wine and stir & toss to create a wok-hay* effect. Then empty wok onto a clean plate.
5. Return wok to high heat adding 1-2 Tbsp. oil. When oil begins to smoke add a tsp. chilli paste to the centre of the oil and immediately spoon the marinated chicken into the wok forming a consistent level layer much like a pancake. Leave to fry about 45 seconds without stirring, then flip the ‘pancake to fry another 30 seconds on the other side before stirring through the chicken briskly to break the ‘pancake’ up into individual pieces till done on all sides (about 30 seconds). Then slide the fried vegetable mix back into the wok and toss/mix together with the chicken till combined well. Again empty the wok’s contents onto the plate.
6. Lower heat to lowest setting. Stir the sauce mixture thoroughly ensuring the thick starch & sugar layer at the bottom of the bowl is loosened completely. Empty the sauce mix into the wok and raise back to high heat while stirring, paying special attention to the base and sides returning the congealing parts back into the centre. When the sauce has turned and is all one uniform bubbling mass turn the heat straight down and slide the chicken mix back from the plate into the sauce followed by the fried chillies, and at high heat mix all through the sauce until combined well. For an authentic spicy red sheen, add a Tbsp. of Sichuan chilli oil, mix, and serve alongside white rice.

* Wok-Hay effect, known as ‘breath of fire’, is a balancing technique of keeping the wok at its highest heat without letting ingredients overload (in turn cooling the wok), while also ensuring nothing overcooks or burns used by Asian Chefs that creates a signature of great Chinese cuisine sometimes difficult to replicate at home without access to the extremely high heat burners used in Asian restaurants, but get it right once and you'll know it and enjoy tasting the difference!