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500g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1 1/2cm (about ⅝”) pieces
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups dried red chillies*
4cm (1.5”) piece ginger, julienned
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 spring onions (scallions), white part finely sliced, green parts cut into batons
2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine
Marinade
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the marinade ingredients, plus a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes.
Pour the oil into a wok. Heat over high heat until a wooden spoon or chopstick dipped into the oil causes small bubbles to form. Add the chicken, dropping each piece in individually so the pieces don’t stick together. Use chopsticks or a pair of tongs to keep the pieces moving around in the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they’re a lovely golden colour and just cooked. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer the chicken to a plate or tray.
Carefully pour all but 2 tbsp of the oil into a heatproof bowl (discard when cool).
Use scissors to cut larger, milder chillies into thirds (roughly 2.5cm or 1-inch pieces). Leave any smaller, more spicy chillies whole.
Ensure the 2 tablespoons of reserved oil is nice and hot in your wok. Add the ginger, garlic, white part of the spring onion, peppercorns and chillies. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the chicken and toss to combine. Pour the soy sauce and Chinese Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok, before adding the green parts of the spring onion. Toss to combine, before transferring to a serving dish.
– I used a combination of larger dried red chillies (milder) and smaller dried red chilies (hotter), but you can tailor the spice level to your own personal preference.
Amazing! Hot! Delicious!
I absolutely loved this dish.
So simple but so tasty.