Spicy Stir-fried Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken thigh meat (cut into small cubes)
• ginger (divided; some for marinade, some minced for stir-fry)
• 2 tbsp cooking wine (divided; 1 tbsp for marinade, 1 tbsp for deglazing)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce (divided; 1 tbsp for marinade, 1 tbsp for seasoning (Weijixian))
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (divided; a few drops for marinade, more for color during cooking)
• white pepper powder (for marinade)
• 5 millet chili peppers (chopped)
• 2 green chili peppers (chopped)
• 5 dried chili peppers (chopped)
• 4 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• aromatic vinegar (a few drops)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• MSG (a pinch)
• cilantro (chopped)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the chicken thigh meat into small cubes. Place them in a bowl and add sliced ginger, cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and white pepper powder. Mix well and let marinate for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   While the chicken marinates, mince the ginger and garlic. Chop the millet chili peppers, dried chili peppers, and green chili peppers.

3. 3

   Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat with cooking oil. Add the marinated chicken cubes and stir-fry until fully cooked and slightly browned.

4. 4

   Add the minced ginger, dried chili peppers, millet chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns to the pan. Stir-fry until the spicy and numbing aromas are released.

5. 5

   Pour a spoonful of cooking wine and a few drops of aromatic vinegar along the edges of the hot wok to deglaze and create a fragrant 'wok hei' effect.

6. 6

   Add the light soy sauce (Weijixian) and dark soy sauce. Stir-fry quickly to coat the chicken evenly and develop a rich sauce color.

7. 7

   Add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, a small amount of sugar, and MSG. Toss to combine.

8. 8

   Finally, add the chopped green chili peppers and cilantro. Stir-fry briefly until the peppers are just cooked through and the flavors are well blended. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Notes

The author emphasizes that this dish is extremely 'rice-consuming' (下饭), meaning it is very savory and spicy. For the best results, use high-quality filtered water for the accompanying steamed rice to enhance the sweetness of the meal.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• stir-fry
• spicy
• Jiangxi cuisine
• chicken
• savory
• dinner