What is Laziji Recipe and How to Make Authentic Sichuan Chicken recipe

I'm Mandy, welcome to souped up recipes. Today I want to share an authentic Sichuan recipe, La Zi Ji, which literally translates to chili pepper and chicken. Sounds fiery right? But it's so much more than just the heat, it's a true flavor explosion. The chicken is first fried to golden brown, then tossed with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, crunchy peanuts, and various aromatics, making it spicy, numbing, savory, and nutty. If you're a fan of Sichuan cuisine, this is a must try. So let's get started by talking about the choice of the chicken. Traditionally, La Zi Ji is made by whole chicken chopped into thumb-sized pieces, but cooked with the bones and skins on. However, most western people prefer boneless meat, so feel free to cut up some boneless skin on chicken thigh instead. I don't recommend using chicken breast because the texture is different. I'm a stubborn Chinese cook, so I got here some chicken wings. This allows me to stay true to the authentic method without needing to break down a whole chicken. Just use a bone cleaver to chop the wings into bite-sized pieces. If you don't have a cleaver, you can use a pair of heavy-duty kitchen scissors to cut the wings into small pieces. Seriously, wings are the best cut to recreate this recipe, because they have the perfect ratio between the bones, meat, and the skin. To marinate the chicken, you will need 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, 1 tsp of ground pepper, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of sugar, and 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Be careful when mixing, because chicken bones can be sharp. Drizzle in 1.5 tbsp of cooking oil. This helps to separate the pieces so they don't stick together while deep-frying. Next, we're gonna get to the spirit of this dish, the chili peppers. In China, La Zi Ji is usually made with a combination of three types of dried chilies, namely Chao Tian Jiao, aka base heaven chilies, which are small but super spicy, lantern peppers, which are short and round and have a nice fragrance, E Jin Tiao peppers, which have a bright red color and a savory flavor. Using a mixture of all three gives your dish layers of heat and a complex taste. However, I can't find these exact chilies here in Florida, so I'm using about 8 spicy chilies and 1 cup of mild chilies. You can play with the ratio to adjust the heat level based on your tolerance. Don't be shocked by the chili amount. This is not that much compared to ordering this dish in a restaurant in China where you'll be stunned by a mountain of chili peppers. Besides that, you will also need 2 tbsp of whole Sichuan peppercorns. It's not spicy at all, but it has a nice citrus aroma and a unique tingling effect, which numbs your lip and tongue slightly and makes your taste buds more sensitive to flavors. That's why this dish is addictively delicious. However, if you have never cooked with this ingredient, please use a small amount first, like half a tablespoon, and see how you like it, because Sichuan peppercorns can be overpowering and ruin your dish. I also have a Q&A video about it. You can check it out right here. Soak the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns in clean water. The purpose is to introduce a bit of moisture to the spices so they don't burn while stir-frying. Another important element of La Zi Ji is the nuttiness, so I've got here a quarter cup of raw peanuts. However, the difference is that you only need to soak the spices for 3 minutes, but the peanuts need to be soaked for 15 minutes. Last, La Zi Ji is a dish packed with beautiful aromas, so I also prepared 1 shallot, diced, 2 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp of minced ginger, 4 scallions, I diced the white part and cut the green part into 1 inch long stalks. I also cut a handful of cilantro into stalks. Set everything aside. Add 2 cups of oil and the peanuts to a wok. Turn the heat to medium and stir every 30 seconds as the oil heats up. When deep frying nuts, you should start with cold oil. This allows the moisture inside the peanuts to fully evaporate, making them extra crispy. Also, peanuts burn easily, so please pay attention to the bubbling activity and the color. When you see less bubbles and the peanuts is turning slightly deeper color, remove them from the oil immediately and let them cool. They will continue to crisp up as they rest. Increase the oil's temperature to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and add the chicken wings and fry over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Take them out and set aside. Pour the oil out of the wok. You can reuse it 3-4 more times for other frying purposes. Clean the wok and add a drizzle of fresh oil. Now we're gonna do the final stir fry. Add the soaked red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes or until all the moisture is evaporated. Toss in the diced garlic, ginger, shallot, and continue to sauté until fragrant. Add half teaspoon of salt and optionally half teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder. Introduce the chicken back into the wok and stir until well combined. Last, add the crispy peanuts, scallion, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. Toss thoroughly and you're done. This is the real deal la zi ji. Whenever I introduce it to my western friends who are new to Sichuan cuisine, they'll joke about it and say, would you like some chicken to go with your chili stir fry? But guess what? They are hooked as soon as they take the first bite. This dish is also served as bar food in China because cold beer really helps to cut down the heat. I hope you give this a try soon. Before you go, let me introduce you to my cookbook. You can click the link in the description and grab your copy. I carefully selected 168 recipes featuring popular takeout dishes, easy family meals, various regional specialties, and classic traditional delicacies. Every recipe is accomplished by lots of photos and a QR code linked to a demo video. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned chef, you'll be able to cook better than takeout in your own kitchen and savor the local meals like a native Chinese. Alright, thank you for watching and I'll see you next time. Bye!