Shandong Stir-fried Chicken

Shandong Stir-fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole rooster (net weight ~2.25 kg)
• 5-10 Sichuan peppercorns
• 5-10 green Sichuan peppercorns (ma jiao)
• generous ginger (sliced)
• to taste garlic (cut into chunks)
• a handful dried chilies (mix of bullet, erjingtiao, and pickled chilies)
• 1 tbsp (~15 g) Doubanjiang (Pixian broad bean paste)
• ~50 soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (~15 g) oyster sauce
• 2-3 tbsp (~30-40 g) cooking wine (or baijiu / yellow wine)
• a pinch five-spice powder
• to taste dark soy sauce (for color)
• a few pieces white angelica root (bai zhi)
• a few bay leaves
• 100 vegetable oil
• 50 lard
• as garnish green and red bell peppers (cut into pieces)
• 5-10 sugar
• to taste MSG
• a drizzle sesame oil
• to taste salt

Instructions

1. Start with a whole rooster.
2. Chop the chicken into ~3 cm pieces. Soak in water for an extended period, changing the water several times — ideally soak for 2+ hours to draw out as much blood as possible. Shandong stir-fried chicken skips the blanching step; the chicken goes straight into the wok.
3. Prepare aromatics: white angelica root (bai zhi) and bay leaves. Bai zhi is essential for authentic flavor.
4. Slice the ginger generously (use quite a bit).
5. Measure out Sichuan peppercorns and green Sichuan peppercorns, about a small handful each (roughly 5-10 g each).
6. Cut the garlic into chunks.
7. Rinse the dried chilies and soak briefly. Here I use three types: bullet chilies, erjingtiao, and pickled chilies — take some of each.
8. Drain the soaked chilies and set aside.
9. Measure 1 tbsp (~15 g) of Doubanjiang. (Optional — you can also use Lao Gan Ma chili sauce or other sauces to your taste.)
10. Measure 2 tbsp (~30-40 g) of cooking wine.
11. Measure 2 tbsp (~30-40 g) of additional cooking wine.
12. Measure 1 tbsp (~15 g) of oyster sauce.
13. Measure ~50 g of soy sauce.
14. Add a pinch of five-spice powder.
15. Measure 2-3 tbsp (~30-40 g) of cooking wine (or substitute baijiu or yellow wine to taste).
16. Add dark soy sauce to taste for color.
17. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
18. Cut some green and red bell peppers for garnish.
19. Heat the wok until very hot, add a small amount of oil, and swirl to coat the entire interior surface. Then pour the oil out. This 'seasoning the wok' step prevents sticking since this is a raw stir-fry method.
20. Heat the wok again. Add 100 g vegetable oil and 50 g lard (lard is key for aroma). Add the sliced ginger and stir until fragrant.
21. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry continuously.
22. The chicken will gradually shrink and release moisture — at this stage the oil will look cloudy.
23. Keep stir-frying until the oil turns clear again. By now most of the moisture has cooked out and the chicken skin is lightly caramelized — perfectly done.
24. Add the white angelica root, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, green Sichuan peppercorns, and chilies. Toss briefly, then pour in the prepared sauce mixture. Stir until fragrant.
25. Add boiling water to cover the chicken pieces. Once it comes back to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
26. Turn the heat up to reduce the sauce. When the sauce is thick and glossy, add MSG to taste, a small amount of sugar (5-10 g) to balance the flavors, and the bell peppers and garlic chunks. Toss a few times, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve.