The most nourishing way to cook black-bone chicken is definitely stewing. However, it is difficult to have an appetite for chicken soup in such a hot and humid weather. Moreover, drinking soup all the time can be boring. Today's recipe, Sichuan-style Spicy Black-Bone Chicken, is not only nutritious and delicious but also appetizing and satisfying.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium-sized black-bone chicken
- Ingredients for the spicy oil: 100g fresh Sichuan peppercorns, 50g fresh red chili peppers, some scallion segments, ginger slices, 1 star anise, 1 piece of cinnamon, and 3 bay leaves; 300g corn oil
- Marinade: 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons minced ginger, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon corn oil, a little sugar
- Other seasonings: 4 tablespoons premium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Instructions:
1. Heat a wok and pour in 300g of corn oil. Heat until it is 60% hot and then reduce the heat to low.
2. Add the crushed scallion segments and ginger slices and fry until fragrant.
3. Add the chili pepper segments and fry until fragrant.
4. Add the fresh Sichuan peppercorns.
5. Stir and continue to fry on low heat until the peppercorns become dry and crispy. Turn off the heat.
6. While the oil is still hot, filter it into a large bowl. You can filter it twice.
Preparing the chicken:
1. Remove the head and tail of the black-bone chicken, clean it, and cut it into walnut-sized pieces. Use a sterilized towel or kitchen paper to remove excess moisture.
2. Put it in a bowl, add the minced garlic and ginger, and mix well. It is better to mix it with hands for a while.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of corn oil.
4. Add soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and mix well.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
6. Arrange the chicken pieces on a plate.
7. After the steamer is steaming, put the chicken in and steam over high heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes.
8. Remove the steamed chicken from the steamer and sprinkle with chopped scallions, chili pepper segments, and a few grains of fresh Sichuan peppercorns for decoration.
9. In a small pot, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the spicy oil and heat until it reaches 80-90% hot, with oil ripples rapidly appearing on the bottom and a slight hint of smoke on the surface.
10. Pour the hot oil evenly over the chicken. You will hear a sizzling sound and the fragrance will fill the air.
11. In the original pot, add 4 tablespoons of premium soy sauce and bring to a boil. Add the oyster sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil again.
12. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Notes:
1. If you skip the step of making spicy oil, this is actually a very simple dish. If you find it troublesome, you can split the process into two parts or use ready-made Sichuan peppercorn oil and chili oil as a substitute.
2. When marinating the chicken, it is best to start with minced garlic and ginger and mix well. This will make the chicken more tender. Garlic juice and ginger juice are the best natural "tenderizing powder".
3. Steam the chicken over high heat for a short time. 10 minutes is enough. Steaming for too long will make the chicken tough and less tender.
4. This dish does not contain salt. The flavor mainly comes from soy sauce and oyster sauce, giving it a slightly bland taste. If you find it too bland, you can add a little salt during the marinating process. However, adding salt during marination will cause the chicken to release more water during steaming, resulting in a loss of texture. In fact, the chicken is already flavorful when dipped in the sauce. Less salt is healthier!
Benefits:
- Nutrition: The main cooking method is steaming, which shortens the cooking time and prevents nutrient loss.
- Appetizing: The spicy oil made with fresh Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers removes the gamey smell and stimulates the appetite.
- Delicious: Lastly, pour the umami sauce made with premium soy sauce and oyster sauce over the chicken.
Black-bone chicken is neutral in nature and has a sweet taste. It has the effects of nourishing yin, clearing heat, nourishing the liver and kidneys, and strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea. Regular consumption of black-bone chicken can improve physiological functions, delay aging, strengthen muscles and bones, and prevent and treat osteoporosis, rickets, and iron-deficiency anemia in women. During the Tang Dynasty, black-bone chicken was used as the main ingredient in medicinal recipes to treat all gynecological diseases.
Modern medicine has proven that black-bone chicken is rich in protein, B vitamins, various amino acids, and minerals. The amino acid content is higher than that of ordinary chicken, and the iron content is much higher. It has low cholesterol and fat content, and the meat is tender and delicate, making it a highly nutritious tonic. Black-bone chicken is suitable for people of all physical constitutions, especially those with physical weakness, blood deficiency, insufficient liver and kidney function, and weak spleen and stomach.
