This hot Szechuan chicken recipe gets its firing spiciness from peppercorns and red chillies. To par-poach the diced chicken in hot oil helps to keep the tenderness of the meat. Ok, if you could handle “the hot stuff”, then a few more Szechuan peppercorns would make the dish more enjoyable, with some cold beer.
Ingredients
450 grams Boned chicken breast
1/2 Egg white
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1/2 cup Cashew nuts or peanut, fried
20 grams Dried red chillies
Frying oil
2 tablespoons Szechuan red peppercorns
1 stalk Spring onion
Sauce:
1 tablespoon Dark soya sauce
1/2 teaspoon Jiafan rice wine (or medium dry sherry)
1/4 teaspoon Mined garlic
1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 tablespoon Cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon Water
Preparation
1. Cut the chicken into inch cubes. Place them in a bowl, and add in egg white, salt and cornstarch. Set aside for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, place all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well.
2. Heat some oil in a pan or wok to 200C/400F. Add chicken and fry 30 seconds. Remove and drain. Leave one tablespoon of oil in the pan, stir in chillies until fragrant. Add peppercorns and spring onions, stirring and tossing together.
3. Return the chicken to the pan, stirring briefly, add sauce mixture and cook, stirring, just until thickened. Remove from heat and sprinkle with nuts.
Credit: Foodista