Mouth-Watering Chicken
This deceptively simple chicken dish is almost always my first choice at a Sichuan restaurant. The meat is tender, while the skin is smooth and crisp. Although served cold, it combines numbing, spicy, savory, fresh, and tender flavors and textures—truly deserving of the name “Mouthwatering Chicken.” For a small family, you don’t need a whole bird; even with just a few basic seasonings, you can make a wonderfully mouthwatering dish.
Ingredients
chicken legs
2
small cucumber
1
ginger
1 small
garlic cloves
3-4
scallions
to taste
cilantro
to taste
peanuts
a pinch
premium seasoned soy sauce
50 ml
Sichuan pepper powder
1 tsp
Sichuan pepper oil
1 tbsp
ground black pepper
1 tsp
chili oil
1 tbsp
chili flakes
to taste
sesame oil
a pinch
sugar
to taste
salt
a pinch
vinegar
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Gather all the main ingredients.
2
Step 2
Place the chicken legs in a pot of cold water, add a few slices of ginger, and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes.
3
Step 3
Remove the cooked chicken legs, plunge them into ice water to cool, and take them out.
4
Step 4
Slice the small cucumber and arrange the slices in the bottom of a bowl.
5
Step 5
Cut the chicken legs into pieces and place them in the bowl.
6
Step 6
Roast the peanuts until golden, then chop them finely and set them aside.
7
Step 7
Make the sauce: combine some chopped scallions, minced garlic, and minced ginger with the seasoned soy sauce, Sichuan pepper powder, Sichuan pepper oil, chili oil, chili flakes, sesame oil, black pepper, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Mix until evenly combined and set aside.
8
Step 8
Pour the sauce over the chicken, then scatter the remaining chopped scallions, chopped peanuts, and cilantro over the top to serve.
