Dry pot chicken is a specialty from Sichuan, China, which fully embodies the region's characteristics of being numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant. The main ingredient is chicken, complemented by nutritious vegetables; even though peppers are not the main dish, they play a significant role in the preparation of dry pot chicken.
A Little Story About Dry Pot Chicken
Dry pot chicken is a signature dish from Sichuan. The people of Sichuan are very hospitable and will always entertain guests with their best cuisine, and dry pot chicken is one such dish. Authentic dry pot chicken is so deliciously spicy that it's hard to stop eating once you start, and it has a unique way of being eaten – stir-fried while you eat it.
How to Make Dry Pot Chicken
Ingredients Needed
800 grams of rooster, 100 grams of celery, 50 grams of chili peppers, 15 grams of fermented black beans, 30 grams of doubanjiang (fermented broad bean and chili paste), 40 grams of scallions, 3 grams of monosodium glutamate, 4 grams of white sugar, 10 grams of sesame oil, 5 grams of Sichuan pepper, 5 grams of five-spice powder, 25 grams of ginger, 150 grams of lard, 3 grams of chicken essence, 15 grams of cooking wine, 5 grams of salt.
Steps for Preparation
1. Remove the seeds and stems from the dried chili peppers, then cut them into sections about 2 cm long. Wash the celery and cut it into sections about 5 cm long. Clean the scallions, use only the white parts, and cut them into segments. Wash the ginger and slice it.
2. Clean the free-range chicken and cut it into chunks. Place the chicken in a bowl and add slices of ginger, scallion segments, salt, and cooking wine. Mix well and marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. When the oil is 70% hot, add the chicken and fry until all the moisture is gone. Then remove and drain the chicken.
4. Add a small amount of oil to the wok. When it reaches 50% heat, add the dried chili peppers and Sichuan pepper. Once fragrant, remove them.
5. Heat another portion of oil in the wok until it reaches 40% heat. Add doubanjiang, ginger slices, and scallion segments and stir-fry until fragrant and colored. Add stock, then the hot pot base. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Skim off any impurities, add the chicken, cooking wine, dried chili peppers, Sichuan pepper, celery segments, sugar, chicken essence, and Laoganma fermented black beans. Stir-fry evenly.
6. Transfer to a pot and serve with an alcohol stove underneath.
7. At the table, light the stove and keep stirring with a spatula. This will make the aroma even more enticing.
The Most Authentic Sichuan Dry Pot Chicken Recipe
Ingredients Needed
Half a chicken, one potato, a small bunch of garlic sprouts, several dried chili peppers, a few cloves of garlic, one chicken leg, a large spoonful of oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Steps for Preparation
1. Cut the chicken into chunks and marinate with a little salt and pepper. Peel and slice the potato thinly, cut the garlic sprouts into segments, and slice the garlic.
2. Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry the garlic sprouts until they are wrinkled. Remove and set aside. Fry the potato slices until they turn golden and set aside.
3. Add an appropriate amount of oil, then add the chicken pieces and fry until almost cooked. Add the garlic slices and dried chili peppers and stir-fry.
4. Return the potato slices and garlic sprouts to the pan. Add oyster sauce, salt, and pepper, stir-fry evenly, transfer to a dry pot, and place over an alcohol lamp before serving.
Nutritional Value of Dry Pot Chicken
The method of preparing dry pot chicken fully utilizes the nutritional benefits of the chicken while also incorporating nutritious vegetables like celery, making it both healthy and delicious, with a lasting flavor.
2. Celery contains diuretic components that help eliminate sodium retention, aiding in diuresis and reducing swelling.
3. Celery is a high-fiber food with anti-cancer properties. It also has a relatively high iron content, which can help replenish blood loss in menstruating women and is suitable for those with iron-deficiency anemia.
4. When selecting celery, snap a piece of the stalk. If it breaks easily, it's tender celery. If it doesn't break easily, it's older celery.
5. Chicken has a high protein content, with many different types of proteins that are highly digestible and easily absorbed by the body. It plays an important role in enhancing physical strength and improving overall health. Chicken also contains phospholipids, which are crucial for human growth and development and are an essential source of fat and phospholipids in the Chinese diet.