Fish-Flavored Pork Kidneys
A classic Sichuan dish: Cut, marinated, starch-coated pork kidney slices are briefly fried in hot oil, then quickly stir-fried over high heat with bamboo shoot slices, shiitake mushrooms, and fish-fragrant sauce, yielding a tender, crisp texture with signature fish-fragrant flavor.
Ingredients
pork kidneys (core removed, scored in a comb pattern, cut into thin strips)
200 g
bamboo shoot slices
40 g
dried mushroom slices
20 g
Chinkiang vinegar
8 g
chili oil
to taste
pickled chili peppers (diced)
13 g
dry arrowroot starch
to taste
sugar
to taste
scallions and ginger
to taste
white pepper powder
to taste
soy sauce
to taste
MSG
to taste
minced garlic
to taste
Sichuan pepper powder
to taste
wet arrowroot starch (slurry)
to taste
Shaoxing wine
to taste
fine salt
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparation and Quick-Blanching the Kidneys
First, halve the kidneys, remove the inner core and any debris, then wash them clean. Score the surface in a comb pattern and cut into thin strips. Sprinkle with a pinch of fine salt, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper, rub in gently, then squeeze dry with a clean cloth. Toss the strips in dry arrowroot starch to coat evenly, then briefly pass them through a wok of hot lard (watch the timing carefully to keep the kidneys tender) and remove immediately.
2
Stir-Frying with the Fish-Flavored Sauce
Stir-fry the diced pickled chilies, dried mushroom slices, and bamboo shoot slices in hot oil. At the same time, combine the prepared fish-flavored sauce — ginger, scallions, soy sauce, white pepper, chili oil, MSG, minced garlic, sugar, Chinkiang vinegar, and arrowroot slurry — with the blanched kidneys, pour everything into the wok together, and toss briefly until just cooked through.
