DRYPOT RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place tofu skin in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, toss chicken with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing and ground pepper in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part without touching bone registers 165 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones (discard bones and skin). Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside.
• Heat a small skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and peppercorns; toast, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to cool, then coarsely grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl and add chili bean paste and chili flakes (or crushed red pepper); mix well and set aside.
• Put a large pot of water on to boil and set a large bowl of ice water beside the stove. Add the tofu skin and potato to the boiling water. Cook until the potato is just tender, about 5 minutes. Add broccolini and celery; cook for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables and tofu skin to the ice water, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel to drain.
• Heat a large flat-bottom wok or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add 4 tablespoons oil and onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add jalapeño (or serrano) and dried chiles to taste, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Push the aromatics to the sides of the pan, making a well in the center. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, followed by the reserved peppercorn mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and scallions; cook, stirring, until the chicken is hot, about 1 minute. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon Shaoxing and soy sauce around the edges of the pan, then add the vegetables and tofu skin. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are hot, about 1 minute more. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Steps:

• Wash and treat the shrimp.
• Cut celery, mushroom and cucumber into small pieces. Cut garlic, ginger and white part of spring onions in thin slices. And chop the spring onions for garnish. Soak the dried wood ear in hot clean water until soft. Drain all the side ingredients.
• Add some water into a wok, then put bay leaves, star anise, cassia, Sichuan peppercorn and fennel to cook for 5 minutes. Pour out soup only and save in a bowl.
• Heat up some oil in wok, put garlic and ginger in to stir-fry until smelling the aroma. Pour the water cooked with seasoning into wok and simmer for 30 minutes. Save the soup in a bowl and set aside.
• Heat up some oil again in a wok. Add doubanjiang or other chili paste to stir-fry until the oil becomes light red.
• Take two teaspoons of soup cooked and add to wok, bring to a boiling. Then transfer to a bowl.
• Heat up oil in wok, and then stir fry shrimp to golden-brown. I do not use deep fry for the consideration of health. But you can use deepf-fry in this step if you want to make the shirmp crisper.
• Heat up some oil in wok; add ginger and garlic to stir-fry. Then put cooked red pepper and Sichuan peppercorn in and stir-fry with high heat.
• Then add cooked vegetables and pork, one tablespoon of soup and salt to continue stir-fry until all the ingredients are surfaced with non-spicy soup.
• Add the spicy soup averagely and garnish some roasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.