SICHUAN CHONG QING RECIPES

Steps:

• Mix cooking sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt and pepper for the marinade in a bowl. Add chicken pieces and set aside to marinate.
• Combine chicken stock, chile paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch for the sauce in a bowl. Stir until well combined, add sesame seeds, and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chile peppers and cook until they turn dark red, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and fry chicken pieces until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add cracked pepper, ginger, garlic, salt, white parts of scallions, and peanuts. Fry an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Add reserved chiles and sauce. Cook and stir until mixture has thickened or desired consistency is reached, about 5 minutes. Garnish with additional sesame seeds and green parts of scallions.

Steps:

• For braised beef, cut beef into 3cm chunks and blanch in a saucepan of boiling water (4-6 minutes). Tip into a colander and rinse well.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add spring onion and ginger and stir-fry until tender (1-2 minutes). Add chilli bean paste, star anise and Shaoxing wine and stir-fry until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add beef and remaining ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover with a lid and simmer until tender, adding extra stock or water if sauce reduces too quickly (1¾-2 hours). Keep warm.
• For chilli oil, snip off chilli stems and cut chillies into thirds with kitchen scissors, discarding any exposed seeds (or they'll burn).
• Heat a wok over low heat, add chillies and stir-fry until fragrant and toasty (4-7 minutes). Add 1 tsp oil and stir-fry until chillies turn glossy and a shade darker (1½-2 minutes). Transfer to a mortar and pestle, cool for 5 minutes, then pound into coarse flakes and return to wok.
• Heat remaining oil in a saucepan until it begins to smoke (10-12 minutes). Turn off heat and cool for 5 minutes, then carefully pour oil over chilli flakes and stir (be careful, hot oil may spit). Set aside to cool and infuse for 2-3 hours.
• Return wok to medium heat, add Sichuan pepper and stir-fry until fragrant (3-5 minutes). Set aside to cool, then crush to a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.
• Blend ginger and garlic in a blender with 250ml water and a pinch of salt to a thin purée.
• Bring chicken stock to the boil in a saucepan, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook noodles in batches in a wok of boiling water until tender (4-5 minutes).
• Divide peanuts, sesame oil, soy sauce, Sichuan preserved vegetable, salted vegetable, 2-3 tbsp chilli oil with crushed chillies, crushed Sichuan pepper and 1-2 tbsp ginger-garlic purée into warm serving bowls. Add hot noodles, ladle in hot stock and top with beef and spring onion.