Tag: Chicken
Sichuan Mala Chicken
Sichuan Mala Chicken
This is real deal authentic Sichuan food. Mala chicken is Sichuan-style spicy fried chicken. While hot and numbing in the best way, the chicken looks and sounds spicier than it really is. It’s definitely not Thai-spicy. Chunks of chicken are marinated and coated with spicy seasoned cornstarch. The pieces are shallow pan fried, then tossed with sautéed whole Sichuan dried chilies, garlic, ginger, and green onions. The Sichuan peppercorns that are infused in the oil, and also ground in the cornstarch coating, adds a numbing sensation to the dish that makes the chicken highly addictive.
Ingredients
Marinade and Coating
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cubed
- 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
Spice Mix
- 1 cup whole Sichuan dried chilies
- 2 tbsp Sichuan chili flakes
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sugar
To Cook
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 5 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 cup cilantro
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the shaoxing cooking wine and soy sauce for 15 minutes.
- Mix together the cornstarch, cayenne, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and salt.
- Toss the marinated chicken with the cornstarch mix, making sure the pieces are evenly coated.
- Heat up 1/2” of cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in half of the coated chicken in a single layer, making sure to not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the chicken in 2 batches, for 4 minutes a side. Drain grease on a rack.
- Save 2 tbsp of the cooking oil. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in the oil for 1 minute. Remove the peppercorns from the pan.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, and green onion. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Toss in the spice mix. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken back. Toss with the whole chilies.
- Turn off the heat. Toss in chopped cilantro.
Chicken Egg Rolls
Chicken Egg Rolls
Egg rolls have been around for hundred of years as part of southern Chinese cuisine, but are really only eaten during Chinese New Year and Spring Festivals. You won’t really find them on any menu unless at a dim sum restaurant. They aren’t part of a households daily diet. They’re not even called egg rolls. In China, they’re known just as spring rolls. Egg rolls are really more popular in Chinese American cuisine, since they come with pretty much every menu item. With that being said, they’re fairly easy to make. There are a couple important tips and techniques for making egg rolls. Make sure that the filling is complete cooled before rolling. If it is warm, it will create condensation in the wrapper, making the egg roll soggy before you even fry it. Make sure your oil is hot enough and don’t overcrowd the pan when frying. This will also create soggy egg rolls. Drain the grease on a rack instead of paper towels. This will keep your egg rolls crispy instead of soggy. If you haven’t yet caught on, the ultimate goal here is crispiness instead of sogginess. Soggy egg rolls bad. It is best to fry up the whole batch of egg rolls and then freeze down what you don’t plan on eating. The egg rolls will need to be reheated in the oven from frozen. If you freeze down raw uncooked egg rolls, you introduce moisture to them. When you go to fry them, you get – soggy egg rolls. Soggy egg rolls are the enemy.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots julienned
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 green onions finely chopped
Egg Roll
- 25 egg roll wrappers
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the cabbage and carrots for 2 minutes.
- Add in the bean sprouts. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Add in the soy sauce and honey. Cook for 1 more minute. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Sauté the garlic and ginger in the same pan for 30 seconds.
- Add in the ground chicken.
- Brown for 6-7 minutes, making sure to break up large clumps into fine crumbles. Add in the hoisin sauce and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Let cool.
- Stir in the cabbage mix and finely chopped green onions.
Egg Roll Assembly
- Place a couple of heaping tbsp of the filling across the bottom center of an egg roll wrapper like so.
- Fold up the bottom over the filling.
- Fold in both corners. Rub a little bit of water on the top point of the wrapper.
- Roll it up. Don’t spark it.
- You should yield 20-25 egg rolls.
Frying
- Heat up 2” of cooking oil in a pot or sauté pan over medium high heat. Place some of the egg rolls into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry for 3-4 minutes a side.
- Drain the grease on a rack.
Lemongrass Roast Chicken
Lemongrass Roast Chicken
Lemongrass is commonly used in Laotian cuisine. It is very aromatic and flavors whatever you introduce it to. This recipe utilizes aromatics such as lemongrass, onion, green onions, and garlic stuffed inside the cavity of a whole chicken. The chicken also has butter stuffed underneath the skin of the breast and is rubbed down with oyster sauce. The last 30 minutes of roasting, the chicken is basted with the pan juices.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- 2 whole lemongrass cut into 3 pieces
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 green onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pat dry the whole chicken; inside and out. Stuff the cavity with the lemongrass, green onions, onion, and garlic. Place 4 tbsp of butter under the skin of the chicken breast.
- Season with salt and pepper. Rub the entire outside of the chicken with oyster sauce. Wrap in foil and placd in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Then baste the chicken with the juices every 10 minutes for the next 30 minutes.
