← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, chopped into 5 cm chunks
• 500 g Potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 Onion, cut into wedges
• 2 green peppers (or 1 green and 1 red), cut into chunks
• 10 Dried chillies, snipped in half
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Star anise
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 6 slices Ginger
• 6 cloves Garlic, smashed
• 1 tbsp Doubanjiang (chilli bean paste)
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 600 ml hot water
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 300 g wide flat wheat noodles (or biang biang noodles)
• Salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large wok or casserole over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and stir until it melts and turns amber, then add the chicken and fry over high heat for 5 min, until coated and lightly browned.
2. Add the dried chillies, Sichuan pepper, cumin, star anise, cinnamon, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the doubanjiang for 30 seconds, then splash in the wine.
3. Add both soy sauces and the hot water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 min.
4. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for 15–20 min more, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches 75°C (165°F). Add the onion and peppers and cook uncovered for 5 min, until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt.
5. Meanwhile cook the noodles until just tender, drain well and spread them on a large platter.
6. Spoon the chicken, potatoes and plenty of gravy over the noodles and serve straight away, tossing the noodles through the sauce at the table.

Tips

• The noodles are traditionally added once the chicken is half eaten, to soak up the last of the gravy.
• Use 4–6 chillies for a milder dish; the Sichuan pepper gives the tingle without much heat.
• Wear gloves to snip lots of dried chillies, or wash your hands well before touching your eyes, and open a window when they hit the hot oil.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

What To Cook Today SBS Food Red House Spice