Ingredients
2/3 to 1 lb of chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" strips
3 cloves garlic, chopped
ginger to taste (maybe one lobe)
5 scallions chopped
~10 dried red chilies (didn't have these - I substituted for sriracha sauce later on)
1tsp sichuan peppercorns whole
2/3c roasted unsalted peanuts (I skipped this one)
Marinade:
1/2tsp salt
2tsp light soy sauce
1tsp mirin / rice wine vinegar
2tsp cornstarch plus a little
1tbsp water
Sauce:
1tbsp sugar
1tsp cornstarch plus a little
2tsp dark soy sauce
2tsp light soy sauce
1tsp mirin
1tsp sesame oil
1tbsp water
Get the marinade ready and place the sliced chicken in it and toss to coat. Let it sit while you get the sauce ready. Now, heat peanut oil (2tbsp?) in a wok and add the sichuan peppercorns (and the peppers if you're using them). Let that cook until it's fragrant - a few minutes (I'm not REALLY sure exactly how long). Now add the chicken and stir fry on high heat. When the chicken is starting to get a little more cooked, add the ginger, garlic, and scallions. Let it keep going until the chicken is fully cooked. Add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens. (If you're using them, add the peanuts here). Serve over rice. Add sriracha to taste (a lot of it).
Thoughts: I really liked this. Sichuan peppercorns have a really unique flavor. The one thing is that when you bite down on them it makes your mouth tingly and leaves you with a slightly sour taste. But it goes perfectly in this dish. Claire feels that next time we should maybe cook the peppercorns and then remove them from the oil, adding them back in if we WANT (because she doesn't like to bite into them). This would give the dish the flowery aroma of the peppercorns without the tingly-ness. For the record, though, I liked the peppercorns... Anyway, next time I might use actual chilies, too, rather than just sriracha, but those like many ingredients aren't always readily available at Cap Centre Foods.
Disaster Index: 1/10
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