Food - recipe details

Numbing-and-hot chicken

ma la zi ji

from Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook

by Fuchsia Dunlop

page 127

An old-fashioned dish dating from the 19th century in Changsha.

The dish is normally made with an entire baby chicken, boned and cut into cubes, but it is simpler to use boned chicken thighs.

category:

cuisine:
HUNAN

vegetarian:

subrecipe:

prep. time: mins

cooking time: mins

serves:


240	grams	chicken thigh	boned, optionally skinned and cut into bite-sized cubes
1	small	pepper (red)	stem removed, deseeded and cut into 2 cm squares
1		large red chilli (fresh)	stem removed, deseeded and thinly sliced
3		spring onion	white parts only, sliced at a steep angle
1	tsp	Sichuan pepper	crushed in a pestle and mortar
1	tsp	sesame oil
300	ml	groundnut oil
For the marinade:
1	tbsp	Shaoxing wine
1	tbsp	soy sauce (light)
0.25	tsp	soy sauce (dark)
1	tbsp	potato flour	mixed with 1 tbsp water
For the sauce:
1	tbsp	soy sauce (light)
1	tbsp	rice vinegar (white)
0.5	tsp	potato flour
3	tbsps	Everyday stock	or use water

Place chicken cubes in a bowl. Add marinade ingredients, mix well and set aside.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok over a high flame to 180-200 degrees. Add chicken and stir briskly for about 30 secs until the pieces have separated and become pale. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon.
Allow the oil to return to 180-200 degrees and then fry the chicken again until golden. Remove and set aside.
Drain off all but 3 tbsps of oil, return the wok to the heat and, working quickly over a high flame, tip in the red pepper, chilli, spring onions and Sichuan pepper. Stir briefly until they are fragrant. Do not overcook.
Stir in the chicken. Give the sauce a stir and tip it into the wok. Stir briskly as the sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

No cookings added

Advanced search