Firecracker Chicken: How to Cook This Classical Chinese Cuisine?
For some spicy relief from one’s busy schedule of work or school, consider some classical Chinese Sichuanese cuisine. Just like the descriptive nature of its name, Firecracker Chicken (known as Laziji) is perfect for some sharp and satisfying hotness. Vibrant in colour and rich in taste, Firecracker Chicken is perhaps most known for its generous offer of dry red peppers in combination with the tingling numbness handfuls of Sichuan peppers leave on the taster’s tongue.
(Source: https://sichuankitchenrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1-500×500.png?crop=1)
- Ingredients and Preparation
To start off, prepare pieces of chicken meat cut into small pieces. Throw these pieces of chicken into a bowl of soy sauce and Shaoxing cooking wine to be marinated. The soy sauce will give the chicken meat a unique hint of saltiness, while the cooking wine will completely refine and enrich its flavours after eliminating any gamey smells. After marinating, cover the chicken meat with a layer of cornstarch and Sichuan pepper powder; this will ensure that the chicken pieces’ surface will be crispy and crunchy after frying in oil.
(Source: https://img.tastelife.tv/assets/uploads/2020/01/00681_Addictive_Sichuan_Mala_Chicken-_Laziji_-_Chef_John_Zhang_step6-684×480.jpg)
After marinating the chicken for at least 2 to 3 hours, prepare the following ingredients:
- Marinated chicken pieces with coating
- Chopped dry red peppers
- Sichuan peppercorns
- A mixture of chilli pepper and other aromatics/spices
- Some chopped small pieces of green onions and coriander for the final touch
(Source: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/laziji-16.webp)
- The cooking
First, after placing some oil in the wok, spread the marinated chicken pieces into the wok. Move the wok frequently to prevent the chicken pieces from burning. In the process of frying the chicken, sprinkle salts into the wok. There is not a set amount of salt that should be put in; rather, as a central characteristic of Chinese cuisines, the amount of spices is always estimated on the spot. So, sprinkle as much salt as you deem appropriate. Once the chicken is browned on all sides and fully cooked, remove the pieces from the wok and transfer them to a separate plate.
Place all the aromatics—the spices, chilli peppers, Sichuan peppercorns—into the wok now and fry until all their aromas and flavours are released among the heat. Finally, add the chicken pieces back and stir-fry them until the flavours of the peppers and the spices are entirely blended into the taste of the chickens. The last step is to turn off the heat and spread some green onions and coriander pieces onto the dish. A reminder—the heat has to be turned off to prevent the green onions and the coriander pieces from burning. Their fragrances can be fully released simply by utilizing the remaining heat in the dish.
Generally, the cooking procedures for this dish are relatively easy; it is the preparation of ingredients that is the most time consuming and complicated part. When done, Firecracker chicken can be served with a bowl of steaming white rice or a green vegetable dish to accompany its burning hot and meaty flavours. Firecracker chicken is a perfect dish for families, friends, and loved ones, or on a casual afternoon for some private enjoyment.
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