International dishesStir FriesChina10 minutes preparation and 45 minutes cooking, not counting 15 to 30 minutes marinating the chicken
This gives a plate of chicken with a numbing heat, a light sourness and a glossy sauce. The difficulty is the heat under the dried chilies, where a few seconds too long turns the seasoning bitter.
The dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic and ginger go in for only 10 to 15 seconds to release their aroma before the chicken comes straight back to the pan. The sauce is mixed in a bowl in advance, so it only has to be poured in.
This batch weighs about 656g, at roughly 161 calories per 100g.
Method
Halve 7 dried chilies. Peel and dice 2 cloves of garlic and 1 slice of ginger. Chop the spring onion. Rinse 30g peanuts, remove the skins, then dry roast or pan toast them.
Rinse 400g chicken breast, trim the fat and dice it.
Marinate the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, mixing well. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cooking oil, mix again, then leave it for 15 to 30 minutes.
Mix the sauce in a bowl: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 70ml water, stirred until dissolved.
Set a pan over high heat with 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, stir fry the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes until it firms up, then lift it out.
Lower the heat to medium, add the dried chilies, 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, the garlic and the ginger, and stir fry for 10 to 15 seconds until fragrant. Return the chicken to the pan and toss.
Pour in the sauce and add the peanuts and spring onion, toss for about 5 more minutes, then turn off the heat.
Tips
Without Shaoxing wine, use white glutinous rice wine.
Chinkiang black vinegar, dark soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorns are sold at Chinese spice stalls around Binh Tay market and Cho Lon, and white pepper can be swapped for ground black pepper.
For less heat, use fewer dried chilies and keep the Sichuan peppercorns for the numbing note that defines the dish.
Fry the dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns in the oil for a few seconds before the chicken goes in, which is what releases the numbing aroma.
Stir the bowl of sauce again right before it goes into the pan, as the cornstarch settles quickly.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.