Szechuan Chicken ranks high amongst favorite Chinese dishes for its tender chicken and colorful veggies in a sweet and savory sauce with a touch of spiciness thanks to Sichuan peppercorns. It's just one of those stir fry dishes different from others and really hits the mark in terms of bold flavors without overwhelming your tastebuds. Most of the magic comes from the Sichuan peppercorns which start out with a spicy kick but quickly transform into a tingly numbing sensation unlike anything else. It's actually a fairly straight forward stir fry recipe with a simple sauce so hang around a few and learn how to make this delicious dish at home yourself...Let's Get Cooking!
Since this recipe is somewhat broken down into two sections, the stir fry itself and the accompanying sauce, I find it easier to knock out all the prep work before beginning so you don't interfere with any cooking timing while making the recipe. Begin by roughly chopping the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Toss these in a large bowl with some cornstarch till all the pieces are evenly coated. This thin layer of cornstarch will become a nice, crispy "skin" of sorts that will remain crunchy even after being doused in a wet sauce, a key component of this stir fry like many others.
The only other prep work this recipe requires is the veggies so dice the bell peppers and onions into similar sized 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces. Depending on personal preference, you could also run the Sichuan peppercorns through a spice mill, food processor, or hand grind them with a mortar and pestle just to break them down somewhat. It isn't completely necessary, but most people do not like full peppercorns in their final dish, even if they pop when you bite them and are easily edible. I think a quick pulse or two in a food processor helps bring out those tongue-numbing tingly aspects a bit more, so you are probably better off to give them a little grind at least. The peppercorns pictured below were not ground prior to cooking.
You could go ahead and make the sauce now, but for time's sake I think it's okay to start cooking and make it during the process. It isn't a sauce that needs time to set up beforehand, so we will cover it later. That being said, heat some cooking oil in a large pan over Medium-High heat. Once hot, add the cornstarch coated chicken pieces and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, in batches, until golden brown. You don't want to overcrowd the pan and end up steaming the chicken. Let the cornstarch do its thing and help us create a crispy and crunchy chicken by cooking fewer pieces in batches. I only say this from experience as you can see below what happens if you try to make all the chicken at once. Some of the pieces brown and crisp up nicely while others just steam cook. Sure, the flavor and end product turn out okay, but it just isn't the same as you will get from a Chinese restaurant where they have those high BTU wok burners that really put a crispy layer on the chicken. I ended up removing about half so I could better crisp up mine.
Once all your chicken pieces are golden brown and crispy, transfer them to a large bowl and cover with a paper towel to keep warm. The paper towel will soak up the excess moisture whereas a lid would cause condensation and you would lose some of that crispy coating we just spent so much effort making. Using the same pan, add a bit more cooking oil and toss in the red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns to toast for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. You can use just about any dry chili you like, but Chiles de Arbol are common and available most places as opposed to their smaller and hot Thai chili relative. They also are just hot enough without burning your tongue off! Anyway, once slightly toasted, add the bell peppers and continue to sauté everything for 2-3 minutes.
Next, add the diced onion and keep cooking everything for an additional 1-2 minutes. We don't want the veggies fully cooked at this point, but you also want to be sure to take the raw crispy bite out of them.
Once the veggies just start to soften up, add the garlic and ginger to the pan and sauté for 1 minute or so, until fragrant.
Once your stir fry smells like something straight out of a restaurant kitchen, return the cooked chicken to the pan with the veggies and spices. You can either turn the heat down to Low or just slide the pan to a different part of the stove turned off, but next we will quickly make the sauce while the chicken and veggies flavors begin to merry together. Add the chicken stock, low sodium soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Sprinkle in a bit of cornstarch and continue to stir until it dissolves into the liquid mixture.
Add the sauce to the pan with the chicken and veggies. Return the pan to a burner over Medium-High heat and bring the liquids up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and continue to stir as the mixture thickens into a sauce that fully coats the chicken and veggies. This process will only take a few minutes so be careful not to scorch or burn any sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Once your sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the stove and serve immediately. Rice is the typical side, but this Szechuan Chicken is great as is if you want to avoid any excess carbs. Beginning to end it only takes about 30 minutes, which is faster than you can order take out and have it delivered so give this recipe a try and let me know if it stands up to your favorite local restaurant's version. I have a sneaky feeling that once you start making this Szechuan Chicken for yourself, you won't be going back and paying 5 times the price for the same dish. You can swap out the chicken breasts for thighs, of course, but I think the slightly dry breasts actually work better, for once, in this recipe. Otherwise, try adding some water chestnuts, baby corn, or just about any other veggies you can imagine since this sauce is quite adaptable....Just Keep Cooking!
SZECHUAN CHICKEN
Commentaires