Numbing And Hot Chicken

Hunan 湖南 is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning "south of the lake"). Hunan is sometimes called 湘 for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province. Hunan cuisine is one of the eight regional cuisines of China and is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, ingredients for Hunan dishes are many and varied.

Yield:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1. 12 oz Boned Chicken Thighs or Breast Half, if you prefer, with skin
2. 1 Small Red Bell Pepper, thin-skinned if possible
3. 1 Fresh Red Chili, or 1 tsp Dried Chili Flakes
4. 3 Scallions, white parts only
5. 1 tsp Whole Sichuan Pepper
6. 1 tsp Sesame Oil
7. 1 1/4 Cups Peanut Oil for deep-frying
8. .
9. Marinade
10. =============
11. 1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine
12. 1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
13. 1/4 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
14. 1 Tbsp Potato Flour mixed with 1 Tbsp cold water
15. .
16. Sauce
17. =============
18. 1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
19. 1 Tbsp Clear Rice Vinegar
20. 1/2 tsp Potato Flour
21. 3 Tbsp Stock or Water

Directions

1. Cut the chicken as evenly as possible into bite-size cubes. Place the chicken cubes in a bowl, add the marinade ingredients and mix well; set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Discard the stem and seeds of the pepper, and cut into small squares to complement the chicken. If using fresh chili, slice it thinly, discarding the stem and seeds. If scallions are slender, cut them into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, otherwise slice them on a steep angle. Crush the Sichuan pepper using a mortar and pestle. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat the oil for deep-frying in the wok over a high flame to 350-400˚F. Add the chicken and stir briskly for about 30 seconds, until the pieces have separated and have become pale; remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. Allow the oil to return to 350-400˚F, then fry the chicken again until golden; remove and set aside. Drain off all but 3 Tbsp of the oil.
4. Return the wok to the heat and, working quickly over a high flame, tip in the red bell pepper, fresh or dried chilies, scallions, and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until they are wonderfully fragrant.
5. Stir in the chicken. Give the sauce a stir and tip it in to the wok. Stir briskly as the sauce thickens. Finally, off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

Notes

陈皮鸡 - Orange Peel Chicken

Orange chicken is a popular Chinese dish in the United States. Called 陈皮鸡 in Chinese language, orange chicken is of Hunan origin. As with most Chinese food served in the United States, the likes of Panda Express have butchered it to a goopy, sticky, and unappetizing mess.Orange chicken (also known as orange peel chicken or tangerine chicken) derives its name from the use of dried orange peel (陈皮) in the recipe. As dried orange peel is not commonly available for most people, I used fresh orange zest as a replacement, which works well. As orange chicken is originally a Hunan dish, you can’t do without some dried red chilies…

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 1/2 pound chicken breast (cut into bite-size cubes)
2. 5 dried red chilies (cut into 1.5 inch length, seeded and soaked in warm water)
3. 1 teaspoon minced orange zest
4. 2 cloves garlic (minced)
5. 1 inch ginger (minced)
6. 1 stalk scallion (use the white part only, cut into thin threads for garnishing)
7. 2 teaspoons oil
8. Oil for deep frying
9. .
10. For the Orange Sauce:
11. ===================
12. 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
13. 3 tablespoons canned chicken broth
14. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
15. 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
16. 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
17. 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
18. 5 teaspoons sugar
19. 1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
20. 1 teaspoon corn starch
21. Salt to taste
22. .
23. For the Frying Batter:
24. ===================
25. 1/2 cup water
26. 2 oz. all-purpose flour
27. 1 oz. corn starch
28. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
29. 1/2 egg
30. 1 teaspoon cooking oil
31. 1 small pinch of salt

Directions

1. Mix the orange sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. Mix the frying batter and dip the chicken meat into the batter. Heat up a pot/wok of cooking oil. When the cooking oil is hot enough for frying, drop the chicken pieces into the oil and deep fry them until they turn golden brown or crispy. Transfer them out onto a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
3. In a wok, add 2 teaspoons of cooking oil and quickly stir-fry the minced garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add in the dried red chilies and toss around until you smell the spicy aroma. Follow by the minced orange zest and then chicken. Quickly stir the chicken around before adding the orange sauce mixture. Continue to stir-fry until the sauce thicken. Dish out, garnish with the scallion threads and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Notes

Kung Pao Chicken

The origin of (Kung Pao Chicken) is much debated. One popular theory is that Ding Baozhen, a Qing Dynasty emperor, enjoyed eating it so much that the dish was named after his officlal title, Gong Bao. Most people believe it to be of Sichuan or Hunan origin, though this NYTimes article says otherwise. What is important, though, is the sensational salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors and mingling on the palate.Americanized versions often neglect the Sichuan peppercorns (Ed. - 花椒 huajiao in Chinese), which is a shame since the mala spiciness is integral to the dish. Another faux-pas cooks there often make is adding tons of vegetatables like bell peppers and broccoli. The main protein, blistered chilis, and peanuts should be stars; chunks of vegetables get in the way in terms of both flavor and appearance.

Ingredients

1. 16 ounces chicken breast
2. 2 cloves garlic, minced
3. 1 tablespoon minced ginger
4. 5 to 6 scallions
5. At least 10 dried red chilis
6. 2 tablespoons peanut oil
7. 1 tablespoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
8. At least one handful of dry roasted peanuts
9. .
10. For marinade:
11. ==============
12. 1/2 teaspoon salt
13. 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
14. 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
15. 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
16. .
17. For sauce:
18. ==============
19. 3 teaspoons sugar
20. 1 teaspoon cornstarch
21. 1 teaspoon dark Soy sauce
22. 1 teaspoon light Soy sauce
23. 2 teaspoons dark rice vinegar
24. 1 teaspoon sesame oil
25. 1 tablespoon chicken stock or water

Directions

1. Cube chicken breast and mix in the marinade mixture. Let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. If you haven't done so already, mince the garlic and peel and slice the ginger. Roughly chop the white parts of scallions, and thinly slice the green parts for garnish. Leave the dried chilis whole, or if you're really worried about seeds falling out, slice them in half and take out as many seeds as possible (wear gloves!)
3. In another bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. (Note: Different brands of soy sauces vary in terms of saltiness, so taste your sauce. If it's too salty, add some sugar and water to dilute.)
4. Heat a wok with oil over high heat. Before the wok begins to smoke, add the chilis and Sichuan peppercorn. Stir-fry briefly until the chilis are slightly blistered and black and oil is slightly fragrant. Add chicken cubes and stir-fry 3 minutes.
5. Add garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir-fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. When the sauce is thickened and shiny, stir in peanuts. Mix to coat, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Transfer to plates, garnish with thinly sliced scallions, and serve.

Notes