Family Recipe 58 - Spicy Fried Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken (bone-in), dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, toasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, white pepper powder Instructions: 1. Chop the chicken into pieces. It's recommended to chop them into smaller pieces for better flavor absorption. Marinate with rice wine, soy sauce, and white pepper powder. 2. Cut the dried chili peppers into sections, shake off the seeds using a colander, then soak in warm water until softened. Soak Sichuan peppercorns in rice wine. 3. Mince the ginger and garlic. 4. After soaking, drain the dried chili peppers and coat them evenly with potato starch. 5. Heat a generous amount of oil in a wok. When bubbles form around chopsticks inserted into the oil, add the dried chili peppers. Don't stir immediately; let them set before gently stirring. Once the surface is slightly dry, remove them. 6. Add the chicken pieces and fry until golden brown and the moisture has evaporated. Remove and drain the oil. Increase the oil temperature over high heat and double-fry the chicken for about 30 seconds before removing and draining again. 7. Pour out most of the oil, leaving a small amount. Over low heat, sauté the minced ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. 8. Add the chicken pieces and dried chili segments. Season with salt, sugar, and soy sauce. Stir-fry quickly until well combined. Sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds before serving. My parents love this dish, but due to their age and weaker teeth, it's quite chewy, so I haven't made it in a long time. That's why there are no photos. The process is a bit involved, but it's very satisfying to eat. If you're interested, feel free to try it yourself. Soaking the dried chilies softens them, preventing them from burning during frying. They can burn very easily, so besides soaking, coating them with starch is necessary. If you're unsure, you can skip frying them and just sauté them with the Sichuan peppercorns over low heat to release their aroma. The chicken needs to be fried until crispy for the best flavor. This dish isn't about a tender texture, so please consider carefully if you have young children or elderly individuals at home.