La Zi Ji
辣子鸡·(là zǐ jī)
Cangying Guanzi (The Weekend Fly Restaurant)
If there is one dish that captures the chaotic, uncompromisingly delicious spirit of a Chongqing fly restaurant, it’s La Zi Ji. It arrives as a terrifying, fire-engine-red mountain of dried chilies obscuring tiny, shatteringly crisp nuggets of chicken. You don't eat the chilies; they are there strictly to perfume the oil. You dig through the fiery rubble with chopsticks to find the savory, numbing rewards. This domestic adaptation skips the vat of deep-frying oil in favor of a shallow fry, yielding that authentic crispy-yet-tender bite on a weeknight schedule.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1 lb
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- Shaoxing cooking wine1 tbsp
- salt1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- egg white1 large
- cornstarch2 tbsp
- neutral cooking oil1/3 cup
- dried red chilies2 cup
- whole red Sichuan peppercorns2 tbsp
- fresh ginger1 med piece
- garlic4 med cloves
- scallions4 med
- white sugar1/2 tsp
- toasted white sesame seeds1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- white rice vinegar1 tsp
Method
- 01
Marinate the chicken.
Massage the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper into the chicken pieces until fully absorbed. Add the egg white and cornstarch, massaging again until every piece is coated in a thin, tacky batter. Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
- 02
Shallow fry the chicken.
Heat a wide, flat-bottomed wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add the neutral oil. When the oil shimmers, spread the chicken in a single layer and leave it completely undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes to develop a golden crust, then flip and stir-fry until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- 03
Bloom the spices.
Pour off all but 2 tbsp of oil from the wok and reduce the heat to medium-low. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns for 30 seconds, then add the chilies, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the oil turns reddish-orange and the chilies darken slightly without turning black.
- 04
Bring it all together.
Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites to the wok, stir-frying for 30 seconds until aromatic. Return the chicken to the wok, crank the heat to high, and toss vigorously.
- 05
Finish and serve.
Sprinkle in the sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and dark scallion greens, tossing for 15 seconds, then finish with a splash of vinegar down the hot side of the wok. Transfer the entire contents to a platter and remind your guests to hunt for the chicken and leave the chilies behind.
Notes
Embrace the numbing sensation.
The signature buzzing on your lips is caused by the hydroxy-alpha-sanshool in good quality Sichuan peppercorns, which pairs with the chili heat to create the foundational ma la flavor profile.
Use sugar to balance the heat.
A half teaspoon of sugar won't make the dish sweet; it rounds out the harsh spikes of capsaicin and masks the natural bitterness of the toasted spices.
Repurpose the leftover chilies.
Don't throw out the mountain of oil-soaked chilies after the meal. Blitz them in a spice grinder with a pinch of salt to create a phenomenal custom chili flake for eggs or noodles.
From Cook Sichuan in America.