✅ Step 1: Ingredient List
Here are the main ingredients needed to make Bashu-style Stir-fried Chicken.
| Category | Ingredient | Quantity | Notes (Emoji & Description) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | Chicken Thighs or Young Chicken | 400-500g | 🐔 Tender chicken is recommended for finer texture. |
| Accessories | Green Pepper / Bird’s Eye Chili (小米辣) | 50g | 🌶️ Provides fresh spiciness; adjust amount to taste. |
| Red Pepper | 30g | Adds color and aroma; makes the dish more visually appealing. | |
| Wood Ear Fungus | 20g (approx. 4-5 pieces) | Soak in advance and tear into small pieces. | |
| Aromatics | Ginger | 15g | Sliced or shredded. |
| Garlic | 15g | Sliced. | |
| Scallion | 20g | Cut into sections or “horse-ear” shape. | |
| Dried Chili Peppers | 5-10g | Provides dry chili aroma; reduce amount if sensitive to heat. | |
| Sichuan Peppercorns | 3-5g | Provides numbing sensation; key to the Bashu flavor. | |
| Other | Cooking Oil | As needed (for frying and stir-frying) | Use vegetable oil that can withstand high temperatures. |
👨🍳 Step 2: Instructions
Making Bashu-style Stir-fried Chicken emphasizes “frying first, then stir-frying.” Marinating and heat control are key. Here are the core steps.
- 🐔 Prepare & Marinate the Chicken:
- •Wash the chicken and chop it into 2-3 cm cubes.
- •Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, add cooking wine, salt, a little MSG (optional), ginger slices, and scallion sections. Mix well and marinate for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to penetrate.
- 🔥 Deep-fry the Chicken (Key Step):
- •Remove the marinated chicken pieces and coat them with a thin layer of dry starch.
- •Pour ample oil into a wok/pot and heat it to 50% heat (approx. 150°C / 300°F).
- •Carefully add the chicken pieces to the hot oil one by one. Fry until the surface is golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain the oil. Control the heat to avoid burning.
- 🌶️ Prepare the Ingredients:
- •Cut the green and red peppers into granules/dices. Mince or slice the ginger and garlic. Cut the scallions or garlic sprouts into a “horse-ear” shape.
- •Soak the wood ear fungus in advance until softened, wash clean, and tear into small pieces.
- 🍳 Aromatics & Stir-frying:
- •Leave some base oil in the wok, heat it up. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers. Stir-fry over low heat until their aroma and numbing spiciness are released.
- •Add minced ginger, minced garlic, broad bean paste, and chili sauce. Stir-fry over low heat until fragrant and the red oil emerges.
- •Add the diced green/red peppers and wood ear fungus. Stir-fry briefly.
- •Add the deep-fried chicken pieces. Quickly stir-fry to combine, ensuring the chicken is coated with the sauce.
- 🧂 Seasoning & Serving:
- •Drizzle a little cooking wine or light soy sauce around the edge of the wok. Add sugar, MSG, and other seasonings (see precise amounts in Step 3). Quickly stir-fry to combine evenly.
- •Add the chopped garlic sprouts or scallion sections. Stir-fry a few times and then serve immediately on a plate.
🌟 Step 3: Seasoning Ratio & Nutrition Info
Precise seasoning ratios are core to the flavor of Bashu-style Stir-fried Chicken, especially the control of numbing and spicy levels.
| Seasoning | Precise Amount (g) | Notes (Emoji & Description) |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Wine | 15 | 🍶 Removes gaminess and adds aroma during marinating and stir-frying. |
| Table Salt | 3-4 | Provides basic saltiness; note the saltiness of the broad bean paste. |
| Light Soy Sauce | 10 | Provides savory umami taste. |
| Broad Bean Paste | 20 | 🌶️ Provides the soul flavor of Sichuan cuisine and red oil. |
| Chili Sauce | 10 | Adds complex spiciness; optional. |
| Sugar | 2-3 | Enhances freshness, balances spiciness, enriches taste layers. |
| MSG / Chicken Bouillon | 2 (optional) | Enhances freshness; can be omitted. |
| Starch | 15 | Used to coat the chicken pieces for a crispy exterior and tender interior. |
| Sichuan Peppercorn Oil / Powder | 3 | Increases numbing sensation; drizzling in before serving enhances flavor. |
💡 Chef’s Tips (TIPS)
- Choosing the Chicken is Key: Prioritize young chickens or chicken thighs for more tender meat that cooks through easily and has a better texture. Avoid using old hens.
- Marinating is Essential: Marinating the chicken in advance not only removes gaminess but also allows for preliminary flavor penetration, which is the foundation of tender meat.
- Control Frying Heat: When deep-frying the chicken pieces, the oil temperature should not be too high. Add them at around 50% heat (150°C/300°F) and fry over medium-low heat until golden brown to avoid a burnt exterior and raw interior.
- Adjustable Numbing & Spiciness: The amount of Sichuan peppercorns (for numbing) and chili peppers (for heat) can be flexibly adjusted according to personal taste. Reduce peppercorns if sensitive to numbing sensation; reduce chilies or remove seeds if sensitive to heat.
- High Heat Quick Stir-fry: Maintain high heat for quick stir-frying during the final combining stage to fully release the aroma of the seasonings and preserve the texture of the ingredients and the “wok hei”.
