Mouthwatering Chicken is one of the most classic cold dishes in Sichuan cuisine. The chicken is tender and juicy, drizzled with a spicy, numbing, and aromatic chili oil sauce. Topped with crushed peanuts and scallion, every bite is an explosion of flavor.
🌴 Ingredients:
· 2 chicken thighs (about 400g)
· 1 tbsp toasted crushed peanuts
🌴 Aromatics:
· 3 slices of ginger (for poaching)
· 1 stalk of scallion (for poaching)
· 4-5 cloves minced garlic
· 1 stalk chopped scallion (for garnish)
· A small pinch of toasted white sesame seeds (for garnish)
· 1 stalk cilantro (cut into segments, optional)
🌴 Seasonings:
· 3 tbsp light soy sauce (about 30ml)
· 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (about 10ml)
· 3 tbsp chili oil (about 30ml, the soul of the dish)
· 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn (about 5g, key for the numbing taste)
· 1 tsp sugar (about 5g, to enhance flavor)
· 1 tbsp sesame oil (about 10ml)
· 1 tbsp cooking wine (about 10ml, for poaching)
· Salt, to taste
🌴 Instructions:
- Poach the Chicken
Place the chicken thighs in a pot of cold water with ginger, scallion, and cooking wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and immediately soak it in ice water for 5 minutes. Drain, cut into pieces, and plate. ⚠️ Note: Never skip the ice water bath; it’s the key to crispy skin and firm meat. I’ve tried skipping it, and the skin turned out soggy. - Make the Sauce
In a small bowl, mix the light soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, ground Sichuan peppercorn, sugar, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. ⚠️ Note: Sichuan peppercorn is key for the numbing taste, but don’t overdo it, or it will turn bitter. - Pour and Serve
Arrange the chicken on a plate and pour the sauce over it. Sprinkle with minced garlic, scallion, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, and cilantro. Mix well before eating to coat each piece with the sauce. ⚠️ Note: Mix from the bottom to bring the sauce up evenly.
💡 More Tender and Aromatic Chicken Dishes:
If you enjoy this mouthwatering chicken, you should also try my [Scallion Oil Chicken] for another incredibly flavorful and crowd-pleasing cold dish.
Want to explore more? Check out my full [Cold Dishes] category!
💡 Tips:
The key to Mouthwatering Chicken is “tender chicken, spicy and numbing flavor.” Soak the chicken in ice water after poaching for crispy skin. Sichuan peppercorn is key for the numbing taste, but don’t overdo it. The ratio of vinegar to sugar is about 1:1. Mix from the bottom to coat the chicken evenly.
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