← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 500 g waxy or all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 Dried chillies, snipped, seeds shaken out
• 3 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 1 long green chilli or ½ green pepper, cut into strips
• 1½ tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• ½ tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 Spring onion, cut into short lengths

Method

1. Rinse the potato matchsticks in several changes of cold water until it runs clear, then soak for 10 min. Drain and shake dry well.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-low heat with the Sichuan peppercorns for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Scoop the peppercorns out if you prefer no crunchy bits.
3. Add the chillies and garlic and stir for a few seconds, then turn the heat to high and add the potatoes.
4. Stir-fry for 2–3 min, until the potato turns translucent but still has a crunch. Add the green chilli strips halfway through.
5. Splash the vinegar around the hot edge of the wok, add the soy sauce, sugar, salt and spring onion and toss for 30 seconds. Serve straight away.

Tips

• Rinsing washes off surface starch, which keeps the shreds separate and crisp instead of gluey.
• A mandoline with a julienne blade makes quick work of the cutting; mind your fingers.

Sources

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

Omnivore's Cookbook Taste of Asian Food