Photograph of the finished La zi ji

China · Gà chiên ớt Trùng Khánh

La zi ji

45 min Hands-on time
MediumDifficulty
5 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Chicken thighs Chicken thighs 1.8 lb
  • Photograph of Sichuan dried chili peppers Sichuan dried chili peppers 2.8 oz
  • Photograph of Sichuan peppercorns Sichuan peppercorns 0.4 oz
  • Photograph of Garlic Garlic 12 cloves
  • Photograph of Ginger Ginger 0.7 oz
  • Photograph of Roasted white sesame seeds Roasted white sesame seeds 0.7 oz
  • Photograph of Shaoxing Wine Shaoxing Wine 2 ⅔ tbsp
  • Photograph of Soy sauce Soy sauce 2 ⅔ tbsp
  • Photograph of Tapioca starch Tapioca starch 1.1 oz
  • Photograph of Oil Oil ¾ cup
  • Photograph of Sugar Sugar 0.4 oz
  • Photograph of Steamed rice Steamed rice 1.8 lb

Method

  1. 1 Debone the chicken thighs, cut them into small pieces about 2 cm in size, and marinate them with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch for 20 minutes.
  2. 2 Deep-fry the chicken for 4 minutes until golden brown, then remove and drain.
  3. 3 Fry the chicken pieces a second time over high heat for 1 minute until they are crispy and dry.
  4. 4 Drain off excess oil, then sauté the dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns for 1 minute over low heat until fragrant without burning.
  5. 5 Add the minced garlic and ginger, then add the chicken, season with sugar, stir well for 1 minute, and sprinkle with white sesame seeds.

With an appliance

  • Air fryer 44 min

    Replace steps 2 and 3: evenly spray oil on the chicken, fry at 190 degrees for 11 minutes, then increase to 205 degrees for another 3 minutes, flip at the 7th minute; steps 4 and 5 still involve sautéing chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, then tossing the chicken in the pan.

Start cooking