Mala chicken (Chongqing Laziji, 辣子鸡)
Crispy, tasty chicken pieces stir-fried with generous amount of dried chillies and Sichuan pepper, Mala chicken is a classic delicacy not to miss.
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 400 g chicken thigh (deboned with skin on (see note 1))
- 6 slice ginger
- 1 stalk spring onion (cut in sections)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
- 500 ml 2 cups cooking oil (see note 2)
- 30 g dried chillies (or to taste)
- 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorn (see note 3)
- 8 slice ginger
- 4 clove garlic (sliced)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 stalk spring onion (finely chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Cut the chicken into bitesize cubes. Mix with all Group 1 ingredients. Marinate for 20 minutes (or longer if you wish). Remove ginger and spring onion before deep frying.
- 2
While waiting, prepare the dried chilli. Break each one into half then remove the seeds (see note 4).
- 3
Heat up oil over a high heat. When the temperature reaches 160°C / 320°F, gently slide in chicken pieces. Fry for 3 minutes or so (when the edges of the chicken lightly brown).
- 4
Remove the chicken from the oil. Continue heating up the oil. Put the chicken back in when the oil reaches 180°C / 356°F. Fry for 1 minute then take out.
- 5
Leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok. Fry ginger, garlic and Sichuan pepper over a medium low heat for 1 minute. Add dried chillies. Retain the heat level and fry until fragrant (do not burn).
- 6
Stir in chicken pieces. Add soy sauce, sugar and rice wine. Cook a further 2 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds and spring onion. Give everything a quick stir then dish out.