Crispy-Fried Chicken Dishes

Ganbian Ji (干煸鸡)

Ultra-crispy bites of double deep-fried chicken are stir-fried with incredible Sichuan flavors – whether sizzling-spicy, fragrant-spicy, or sizzling-fragrant, they’re all delicious.

The method for making Crispy-Fried Chicken can be broken down into 5 essential steps: Marination, Preparation, Deep-Frying, Stir-Frying, and Seasoning. First, the meat is marinated; then, the other ingredients are prepared; third, the meat is deep fried in plenty of oil; next, the meat is stir-fried along with aromatics and chilies; and finally, seasonings and garnishes are added to the chicken just before it’s plated.

Because Crispy-Frying is essentially a method of cooking, there can be a lot of variation within the ingredients used. However, the ingredients can be likewise broken down into 5 sections: Frying Ingredients, Marinade Ingredients, Aromatics and Chilies, Additional Seasonings, and Garnishes. These five types of ingredients form the core but the exact ingredients vary depending on the chef's preferred flavor profile. For instance, the following recipe has a simple Spicy-Numbing (Ma-La) profile.

Other versions of Crispy-Fried Chicken include: Fragrant Spicy Crispy-Fried Chicken (香辣干煸鸡) and Sizzling Fragrant Crispy-Fried Chicken (麻香干煸鸡). The difference between these dishes is, of course, the main flavors. Check out the Sizzling Spicy version here and then experiment with other flavors by adding more aromatics for a Fragrant Spicy flavor (香辣) or more Sichuan pepper for a Sizzling Fragrant flavor (麻香).

Some Important things to keep in mind when cooking:

• Don't Overcrowd the Wok
• Use Plenty of Oil at a VERY high heat
• Be Patient When Deep-frying
• Don't Burn the Aromatics and Chilies
• Prepare Additional Seasonings in a Small Bowl Before Frying

To deep fry the Chicken, fill the wok at least 1/3 full or just under 1/2 full with Oil – if this is your first time attempting this, definitely do not fill the wok too full. Heat the Oil medium-high heat until it’s super-hot. This may take a few minutes if not using an open flame. (Many Sichuan kitchens have a powerful wok burner that blasts super-hot flames like a mini jet engine). Your goal is to get the Oil just below its smoke point, so if you reach that smoke point, simply turn down the heat a little before adding the Chicken.

Once the Oil is super-hot, carefully add the Chicken and stir gently to quickly separate the pieces. When you add the Chicken to the hot oil, it will be extremely obvious why the wok should not be more than 1/2 full. The Oil will bubble rapidly as any moisture from the surface of the Chicken is forcefully evaporated. If the wok is too full, the dangerously hot Oil will bubble over and can easily catch fire. Therefore, never fill your wok more than half full when making this kind of Chicken dish.

After the Chicken has fried for about two minutes, remove the Chicken from the hot Oil with a wire strainer or large slotted spoon. This is an important secret step for making the Chicken extra crispy. The Chicken will be exposed to air briefly allowing it to cool slightly and release some steam (i.e., more water). While this is happening, you can clear the Oil of any unwanted scum or debris with a wire strainer. You can then return the Chicken to the wok for about another minute to double fry it, making it ultra-crispy. This process is extremely important not only for Crispy-Fried Chicken, but also for Spicy Chili Chicken (辣子鸡).

 

Sizzling Spicy Crispy-Fried Chicken

Mala Ganbian Ji (麻辣干煸鸡)

Crispy fried chicken with an explosion of sizzling spicy heat – enjoy the precursor to famous dishes such as Spicy Chili Chicken (辣子鸡) with this classic dish.

Crispy-Fried Chicken in its most basic form is a sizzling-spicy dish (麻辣). Aromatics like Garlic and Ginger are less important than flavorful Dried Red Chilies and powerful Green Sichuan Peppercorns. The Chilies and Peppercorns release their flavors into hot oil, which in turn coats the crispy bites of Chicken.

When stir-frying the Chicken, it’s best not to add any high-moisture vegetables. Vegetables such as these will release their moisture into the Chicken, destroying the crispiness. Even Scallion and Cilantro can add too much moisture if they’ve been recently washed and not dried properly. I use Chinese Celery (山芹菜) in the following recipe, which tends to have less water than Western Celery (西芹菜). Water can be drawn out of Western Celery using salt; however, be sure to pat the Celery dry with paper towels which will not only remove the excess water but some of the salt as well. If using the salt method, you may want to reduce the Salt added in the Seasonings.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 40 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

1/2 of a Chicken

Marinade Ingredients
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 - 2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground White Pepper

1 – 2 bunches of Chinese Celery

Aromatics
2 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger

Chilies
1 – 2 cups of Dried Red Chilies (Amount when snipped into 1.5-inch-long pieces; About 10 – 20 grams)
1 Tbsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns (About 5 grams)

Peanut Oil (Enough for Deep Frying)

1 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Bean Paste

Seasonings
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt (to Taste)

Brightening Oil
1 tsp. Sichuan Pepper Oil

Garnish
1 Tbsp. chopped Cilantro
1 tsp. Sesame Seeds

Directions

1.) Wash and chop the Chicken into thick slices about 1.5-inches thick. Hit hard to chop through the bone and try to cut as evenly as possibly. Cut these slices into roughly 1.5-inch cubes.

2.) Place the Chicken in a large bowl and add the Marinade ingredients (Rice Wine, Soy Sauce, Salt, and Pepper). Mix thoroughly and allow the Chicken to rest for about half an hour.

3.) Cut each stalk of Celery into 2-inch-long pieces and place the pieces in a bowl for later.

(For Western Celery, first cut down the length of each stalk, slice them into long thin slivers about 1/4-inch thick. Then cut the slivers into 2-inch-long pieces. Spread the pieces out on a baking sheet or flat surface and sprinkle them with salt. Allow to rest while preparing the other ingredients. Before stir-frying them, pat the sticks down with paper towels).

4.) Peel and slice the Garlic and Ginger, placing them in a small bowl for Aromatics.

5.) Cut the Chilies in half or into roughly 1.5-inch-long pieces and place the Chilies in a bowl along with the Sichuan Peppercorns to make the bowl of Chilies.

6.) Fill a seasoned wok at least 1/3 full, but no more than 1/2 full, with Peanut Oil and heat on medium-high for deep frying.

(Use plenty of oil at a very high heat! Use a wok or large pot. Do not attempt in a skillet.)

7.) When the Oil is extremely hot and nearly smoking, add the Chicken and fry the pieces for about 2 minutes, stirring gently, until crispy on the outside.

(DO NOT overcrowd the wok. Cook in batches if needed. Don’t allow the oil to get ‘soupy’ or cloudy. This happens if the oil is not hot enough, the wok is overcrowded, and/ or there is not enough oil).

8.) Remove the Chicken with a large slotted spoon, clear the Oil of any scum with a mesh strainer, and increase the heat to high.

9.) Return the Chicken pieces to the super-hot oil and fry for 1 minute until ultra-crispy. Remove the Chicken from the Oil with a slotted spoon and allow the pieces to rest on a wire rack.

10.) Quickly clean out the wok pouring the hot oil into a large metal bowl or pot. Add about 1/4 cup of Oil back to the wok and heat it on high.

11.) Remove the wok from the heat and add the Aromatics, stir-frying them just a few seconds until fragrant. Then, add the Chilies and stir-fry them just a few seconds in the hot Oil. Finally, stir in the Chili Bean Paste and mix it thoroughly into the Oil.

12.) Return the wok to heat, add the Chicken, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until all the pieces are fully coated in the sizzling-spicy Oil.

13.) Pull the wok away from heat and add the Celery along with all of the Seasonings (Rice Wine, Dark Soy Sauce, and Salt). Return the wok to heat and stir-fry vigorously, mixing and tossing the Chicken with the Celery and Seasonings.

(Remember to splash the Rice Wine and Dark Soy Sauce around the sides of the wok so that it drips down into the basin. This will concentrate the flavor, remove excess water, and give the sauces a toasty flavor. It will also help to keep the Chicken crispy).

14.) Cut off the heat, splash in the Brightening Oil, and then plate the Crispy-Fried Chicken. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped Cilantro and Sesame Seeds.

 

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