Chinese Szechuan Style Chicken with Chili – Hot

Summary

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon sesame oil or peanut oil
• 2 chicken breasts better: 4 filleted chicken thighs
• 1 handful cashew nuts
• 1 ½ tablespoon beans, fermented black beans, dried and salted (Douchi)
• 2 teaspoons beans (Douchi in chili oil) in a glass, alternatively a little more dried Douchi
• 1 small shallot (s)
• 3 cm ginger
• 7 chilli pepper (s), medium to large
• 4 clove (s) garlic
• 2 tablespoon cooking wine B. Shao Xing
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, light
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Szechuan pepper, freshly ground
• Garlic, green garlic shoots for garnish

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Instructions

1. Cut chicken into roughly 1cm cubes (use thighs instead of breasts for more tenderness, though they require more prep).
2. Cut shallot, ginger, and garlic into small pieces.
3. Halve chili peppers, remove seeds and skin, then cut diagonally into roughly 0.5-1cm strips.
4. Grind Szechuan pepper (optionally toast and cool first).
5. Chop garlic shoots into small pieces.
6. Arrange all ingredients near the stove for quick access.
7. Heat wok with oil over high heat.
8. Fry chicken in small batches until cooked through (74°C / 165°F internal temperature), setting each batch aside; reduce heat to medium for the final batch.
9. In the remaining oil, toast cashew nuts over medium heat for about 1 minute, then set aside with chicken.
10. Fry Douchi over medium heat for about 1 minute.
11. Add ginger, shallot, and garlic; cook over medium heat for about 1 minute.
12. Add chili peppers, mix well, and fry for about 3 minutes.
13. Increase heat to high, deglaze with cooking wine.
14. Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and Szechuan pepper.
15. Return chicken and cashew nuts to wok.
16. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
17. Stir in cornstarch to thicken sauce (use sparingly).
18. Garnish with garlic shoots if desired.
19. Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.