辣子鸡丁 - Lazi jiding - Spicy Wok-Fried Chicken with Chilis

Lazi jiding (辣子鸡丁) is like a more sophisticated version of kung pao chicken. It's smokier, spicier (a lot spicier if you chop up the chilis), and only a bit more complex in its preparation. (The way I make it is more like shallow-frying. I use about 1 1/2 cups of oil, and dredge the chicken in a cornstarch-salt-pepper mixture beforehand.) Few fried chicken entrees are enveloped by such a succulent tongue-tingling sauce.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

2. 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, diced
3. .
4. For the Marinade:
5. =================
6. 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
7. 2 tablespoons yellow rice wine
8. 2 teaspoons dark rice vinegar
9. 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
10. .
11. For the Sauce:
12. =================
13. 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
14. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
15. 1 tablespoon chicken stock or water
16. 1 teaspoon cornstarch
17. .
18. For the dredge:
19. ================
20. 2 cups cornstarch
21. 2 teaspoons salt
22. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
23. .
24. 1 1/2 cup peanut oil
25. .
26. 8 to 10 driled red chilis
27. 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorn
28. 3 garlic cloves, minced
29. 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
30. 1 clove garlic, minced
31. 1 small piece ginger, minced

Directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together marinade ingredients: soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Marinate chicken in mixture for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Mix together ingredients for the sauce: chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock or water, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or plate, mix together cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken in cornstarch mixture and shake off excess cornstarch. Heat about 1 cup of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When oil starts to smoke, work in batches and fry chicken until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining batches.
4. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil, and keep wok heated over medium-high heat. Add chilis and Sichuan peppercorn and stir-fry until just fragrant and chilis start to blister, about 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Add leeks, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in sauce mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add fried chicken, toss to combine, and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Notes

Szechuan Wok-fried Chicken

The secret ingredient of Szechuan food is Szechuan pepper (花椒)–the medium that gives Szechuan food the staple tingly numbing effect (麻). Szechuan pepper exudes rich aroma and exotic scent to dishes and together with dried chili pepper, they give the Ma La (麻辣) flavor that is signature to Sichuan food. And believe me when I say this, once you’ve tried Ma La (麻辣), there is no turning back.One of the Szechuan dishes that I absolutely love is Szechuan wok-fried chicken. This chili-laden dish is alluringly tongue-numbing, explosively fiery, and pleasantly addictive. However, it’s just not the easiest dish to make at home, but the result and experience are certainly satisfying.

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 1 boneless and skinless chicken breast (cut into cubes)
2. 12 dried red chilies
3. 1 tablespoon of Szechuan peppercorn
4. 5 slices of peeled ginger
5. 5 slices of garlic
6. 1 stalk of scallion (julienned for garnishing)
7. 1 sprig of coriander (for garnishing)
8. 1 fresh red chili (julienned for garnishing)
9. 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
10. 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine (rice wine or Shaoxing wine preferred)
11. Salt to taste

Directions

1. Cut the chicken breast into cubes and dip them into batter and deep fry to golden brown. Set aside. In a wok, heat up some oil until smoke comes out.
2. Add in the sliced ginger, garlic, and stir fry until they turn light brown. Add in the dried chilies, Szechuan pepper and quick stir them until you smell the spicy and fragrant aroma.
3. Add in the chicken cubes and seasoning and do a final quick stir. Serve hot and garnish with scallion, coriander, and red chili.

Notes

Sichuan-Style Braised Eggplant

Native to Southeast Asia, eggplants come in myriad shapes, sizes and colors, from oblong to round, big to marble-sized, white to nearly black. The two most common Asian eggplant varieties found in the West are the long, slender Chinese and Japanese types. The former have lavender skin, while the latter are usually a deep purple. Both are mild and tender and contain few seeds. Use either type in this recipe, being sure to slice the eggplant crosswise on an extreme diagonal to expose as much flesh as possible, thus ensuring quicker, more even cooking.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 lb. Asian eggplant
2. 1 Tbs. salt
3. 3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil, plus more as needed
4. .
5. For the sauce:
6. =================
7. 3/4 cup chicken stock
8. 1 Tbs. chili bean paste
9. 1 Tbs. black vinegar
10. 1 Tbs. dark soy sauce
11. 1 1/2 tsp. light soy sauce
12. 1 tsp. tomato paste
13. 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
14. 1/2 tsp. sugar
15. 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
16. 2 garlic cloves, minced
17. 1 Tbs. peeled and minced fresh ginger
18. 1/4 cup minced celery
19. 1 tsp. grated or prepared horseradish
20. 1/4 lb. ground pork
21. 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Directions

1. Working with 1 eggplant at a time, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Place the eggplant pieces in a large bowl. Add cold water to cover and stir in the salt. Weight the eggplant pieces with a plate to keep them submerged. Soak for 30 minutes, drain and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a wok or large sauté pan over high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the canola oil until very hot. Working in 2 batches, add enough eggplant to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer and stir-fry until crisp and brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, adding more oil if needed. Set the pan aside without rinsing.
3. To make the sauce, in a bowl, stir together the stock, chili bean paste, vinegar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
4. Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Stir in the garlic, ginger, celery and horseradish and sauté until just golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the pork and stir-fry until the meat just turns opaque, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the eggplant, reduce the heat to low, cover and braise the eggplant until just tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for a few minutes more until the sauce thickens.
6. Transfer the eggplant to a warmed serving bowl and garnish with the green onions. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Notes

Asian Braised Short Ribs

These slow-cooked beef short ribs are seasoned with Chinese five spice, an aromatic blend of Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, fennel and cloves. For optimum flavor, grind the whole spices just before using.

Ingredients

1. 2 Tbs. whole Chinese five spice
2. 4 lb. bone-in beef short ribs
3. 2 to 3 Tbs. olive oil
4. 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
5. 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6. 1/3 cup plum wine
7. 1/3 cup soy sauce
8. 1/3 cup rice vinegar
9. 1/4 cup sesame oil
10. 1 Tbs. chili garlic paste
11. 2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
12. Zest of 1 orange, peeled with vegetable peeler into 1/2-inch strips, plus juice of 1 orange
13. 1/4 cup sugar dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water
14. Steamed rice for serving

Directions

1. Using a spice grinder, grind the Chinese five spice. Season the short ribs with the five spice and shake off the excess.
2. In a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the ribs on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total, adding more oil to the pan if needed. Transfer to a slow cooker.
3. Add more oil to the pan if needed. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the wine is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker along with the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili paste, ginger, orange zest, orange juice and sugar mixture. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours according to the manufacturers instructions.
4. Spoon the fat off the sauce. Transfer the ribs and sauce to a serving bowl and serve with steamed rice. Serves 6.

Notes