Chongqing Spicy Chicken

Ingredients

Vegetable oil

2 tablespoons

Salt

1 teaspoon, or to taste

Sugar

1 tablespoon

Chinese cooking wine

2 tablespoons

Dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon

Soy sauce

1 tablespoon

Scallions

3, chopped

Garlic

4 cloves, minced

Ginger

1 inch piece, minced

Dried red chili peppers

10-15, or to taste

Sichuan peppercorns

1 tablespoon

Chicken thighs

500g, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size pieces

Instructions

1. Dry roast the Sichuan peppercorns in a pan over medium heat until aromatic, around 2 minutes. Grind into a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. This releases their unique numbing flavor.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
3. Add the dried red chili peppers to the hot oil and stir-fry until they become fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn them.
4. Add the minced ginger, minced garlic, and chopped scallions to the wok, and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
5. Add the chicken pieces to the wok and stir-fry until they are cooked through and slightly browned, around 5-7 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the ground Sichuan peppercorns. This forms the savory, sweet, and spicy sauce that is characteristic of Sichuan cuisine.
7. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken in the wok. Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until the chicken is well coated in the sauce and it has thickened slightly.
8. Serve the Chongqing Spicy Chicken hot, garnished with additional chopped scallions if desired. It pairs perfectly with steamed jasmine rice or noodles to balance the heat.