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