Kitchen On Fire

Spicy Szechuan Chicken

Sichuan province is the birthplace of many dishes that are well-received globally. Sichuan food, originated from the Southwestern region of China, is the most widely served cuisine in China itself. The dishes of Sichuan cuisine are known for their deep and rich flavours, especially the taste of Sichuan pepper which is rare in other regional cuisines.

Known for their hot, spicy and numbing flavors; some common ingredients found in this specialty cooking are:

Sichuan cuisine holds a reputation for its variety of seasonings used, as each dish requires different cooking methods. As the saying goes,

‘one dish with one flavor, with one hundred dishes come hundred flavors.‘
old saying

Sichuan food is most well-known for its hot and spicy flavor, though it may sport sweet and sour flavors too. The most commonly used spices you can find in most households and eateries are “The Five Fragrances” which consist of fennel, pepper, aniseed, cinnamon, and clove; chili and Sichuan pepper.

Kung Pao Chicken is its Cantonese name, and read as Gongbao Jiding (宫保鸡丁 /gong-baow jee-ding/ ‘Palace-Protected Chicken Cubes’) in Mandarin.

The dish is prepared by frying diced chicken and dry red pepper with golden peanuts. Spicy diced chicken is more popular among Westerners This is usually less spicy, or not at all, when served abroad and outside Sichuan province.

Bring the flavors of China home with you in this easy recipe full of flavor and spice

Ingredients

for 2 servings

MARINADE INGREDIENTS

3 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rice wine
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 stalk scallion, shredded
2 slices ginger
4 chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

OTHER INGREDIENTS

vegetable oil, as needed for frying
2 tablespoons szechuan peppercorn
5 red chilis, chopped
50 dried red chilis, whole
4 slices ginger
1 stalk scallion, chopped
⅓ cup peanuts
½ teaspoon sugar
½ tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
scallion, chopped for garnish

Preparation

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl, add the chopped chicken. Marinate for 10 minutes.
In about 1 ½ inch (4 cm) of oil, fry the chicken until browned and crispy. Remove and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or a large pan. Add the Szechuan peppercorn and dried red chilies. Fry until fragrant.
Add the rest of the dried red chilies, ginger, scallion, and peanuts. Fry for a minute.
Add the fried chicken pieces, sugar, rice wine and sesame oil. Toss to coat.
Garnish with chopped scallions
Enjoy!

Nutrition Calories: 2870 Fat: 303 grams Carbs: 29 grams Fiber: 11 grams Sugars: 9 grams Protein: 26 grams

If you have tried our recipes at home share a picture with us and let us know how it turned out. If you want to enjoy this at Bloom and save the mess in your own kitchen try out our Kung Pao Chicken