Leshan Bobo Ji
乐山钵钵鸡·(Lèshān bōbō jī)
Cangying Guanzi (The Weekend Fly Restaurant)
Cold chicken and crisp lotus root threaded onto sticks, locals crowded around low tables outside fly restaurants, cold beers in hand, pulling bamboo skewers from massive clay pots—this is Bobo Ji. Unlike a simmering hot pot, the magic of this cold-soaked technique relies entirely on temperature and emulsion. By plunging gently poached meats and snappy vegetables into a plastic tub of deeply savory, room-temperature chicken broth capped with a thick layer of red chili oil and toasted sesame seeds, every skewer drags through the fat, emerging perfectly coated in a sweet, numbing heat. Give the skewers twenty minutes to soak, then eat them right out of the bowl.
Before you start
Secure bamboo skewers.
You will need a pack of 6- to 8-inch bamboo skewers to thread the ingredients. Soaking them in water beforehand isn't necessary here since they won't be grilled.
Ingredients
- bone-in skin-on chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- water4 cup
- fresh ginger1 small knob
- scallions2 med
- Shaoxing cooking wine1 tbsp
- broccoli1 small head
- potato1 med
- lotus root1/2 lb
- dried wood ear mushrooms1 cup
- fried tofu puffs6 oz
- neutral cooking oil1/3 cup
- Pixian Doubanjiang2 tbsp
- Chinese chili flakes3 tbsp
- whole red Sichuan peppercorns1 tbsp
- light soy sauce3 tbsp
- Chinkiang black vinegar1 tbsp
- sugar1 1/2 tbsp
- chicken bouillon powder1 tsp
- white sesame seeds1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Poach the chicken and fortify the broth.
Combine the chicken thighs, water, ginger, scallions, and Shaoxing wine in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Skim any foam, reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 25 minutes until cooked through. Remove the chicken to cool, then strain the broth into a wide serving bowl and allow it to reach room temperature.
- 02
Bloom the red oil base.
Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Fry the minced Doubanjiang for two minutes until the oil glows red and turns fragrant. Add the crushed Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes, stirring constantly for 30 seconds to toast the spices without burning them.
- 03
Season the soaking liquid.
Pour the hot chili oil directly into your cooled chicken broth. Whisk in the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, chicken bouillon, and the toasted sesame seeds. The broth should taste aggressively seasoned—salty, sweet, and numbing.
- 04
Blanch and shock the vegetables.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Blanch the vegetables one by one: wood ear mushrooms for 3 minutes, lotus root for 2 minutes, and broccoli and potatoes for 1 to 2 minutes. As each finishes, immediately transfer it to an ice bath to lock in the crunch, then drain well.
- 05
Skewer the ingredients.
Once the poached chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the bones and cut the meat and skin into bite-sized pieces. Thread the chicken, tofu puffs, and blanched vegetables onto bamboo skewers, keeping it to two or three pieces per stick to replicate the street food experience.
- 06
Execute the cold soak.
Submerge the loaded skewers into the room-temperature red oil broth, ensuring they are fully covered. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can penetrate via osmosis, then place the bowl in the center of the table and pull the skewers straight from the pot to eat.
Notes
The physics of the cold soak.
If you pour boiling broth over the skewers, the vegetables will turn to mush and the chicken skin will go flabby. A room-temperature broth keeps textures crisp and slightly thickens the chili oil, allowing it to perfectly cling to the cold skewers as they are pulled from the pot.
Substituting for authentic chilies.
If you cannot find Erjingtiao chilies, a half-and-half mix of Korean gochugaru and standard crushed red pepper brilliantly mimics the vibrant red color and mild, sweet heat of the original.
From Cook Sichuan in America.