Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 1/2 teaspoons whole black, white, or Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 pound cucumbers, peeled
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons chili oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Place the chicken in a large pot. Add the wine green onions, 3/4 of the ginger, 1 teaspoon of the Sichuan peppercorns, and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer, cook for 3 1/2 minutes. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool for a few minutes. Then shred the chicken with your fingers.

Quarter the cucumbers and scoop out the seeds. Then chop into 2 inch lengths. Cut these into 1/4-inch thick sticks.

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, the rest of the Sichuan peppercorn, rest of the ginger, garlic, sugar, and cilantro in a blender. Process until smooth.

Scatter the cucumber pieces on a plate. Top with the shredded chicken, and pour on the sauce. Garnish with more cilantro.

Nick Kindlesperger, Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 2 celery stalks, outer stems peeled
• 1 pound boneless chicken, chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 3 scallions, ends trimmed
• ¼ cup peanut oil
• 8 dried hot red chiles (preferably Sichuan chiles)
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili bean paste
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Preparation

Slice celery at steep angle into ½-inch slices. Set aside and toss with pinch of salt. Slice scallions at steep angle into ½-inch slices. Transfer to same bowl as celery.

Pour oil into large wok set over high heat. When smoking, add chicken. Stir-fry until chicken has lost much of its water, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, and add chiles and Sichuan pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add chili bean paste, and stir well. Cook until it stains the oil red, about 10 seconds. Add rice wine, dark soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring often, until chicken looks dry and is very fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add celery and scallions, and stir-fry until just tender, one to two minutes. Turn off heat, pour in sesame oil, and season with salt to taste. Stir well, and serve with white rice.

Nick Kindlesperger, Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 3 whole star anise
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry)
• ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 chicken legs, skin on
• 3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and ground
• ½ cup chicken stock

Preparation

Whisk together star anise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and rice wine in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Place a large wok over high heat. When it starts to smoke, pour in oil. Swirl oil around, and then add chicken legs skin side down. Adjust heat to medium-high and cook undisturbed until they are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken legs, and add garlic and ginger. Continue cooking until the other side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce mixture, and chicken stock. Toss chicken pieces with sauce. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Then cover the work, reduce heat to low, and cook until juices run clear in the legs, about 10 minutes. Remove legs and set aside on a plate.

Turn heat to medium-high, and reduce sauce until it lightly coats the back of a spoon, stirring often. Serve chicken legs with sauce. Pair with white rice or broccoli.

Nick Kindlesperger, Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 8 oz fresh thin Chinese egg noodles (also called Hong Kong noodles; not wonton noodles)
• 1 (1/2 lb.) piece flank steak
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing) or medium-dry Sherry
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 scallions, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered (2 1/2 cups)
• 6 oz choy sum, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (2 1/2 cups) or 1-inch-wide broccoli florets

Preparation

Bring 8 cups unsalted water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then add noodles, stirring to separate, and cook 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, then shake colander briskly to drain excess water.

Cut steak with the grain into 1 1/2- to 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices and put in a medium bowl. Using your hands, toss beef with sugar, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Let beef marinate at room temperature while preparing remaining ingredients.

Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken broth.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, then add 1/2 cup peanut oil and heat until just smoking. Carefully add noodles all at once, flattening top to form a 9-inch cake. Cook until underside is golden, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating noodle cake with a metal spatula to brown evenly and lifting edges occasionally to check color. Carefully flip noodle cake over with spatula and tongs, then cook, rotating cake, until other side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer noodle cake to a large paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Discard any oil remaining in wok and wipe out wok with paper towels.

Transfer drained noodle cake to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Pour 1 tablespoon peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat sides. Add beef, spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom and sides as quickly as possible. Cook, undisturbed, letting beef begin to brown, 1 minute, then stir-fry until meat is just browned on all sides but still pink in center, about 1 minute. Transfer meat and any juices to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok over high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 5 seconds, then add scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add choy sum and stir-fry until leaves are bright green and just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (if using broccoli, cook until almost crisp-tender). Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and stir to coat. Return mixture just to a boil, then pour over noodle cake.

Serves 4

Gourmet, September 2005

Ingredients

• 3 lb. chicken wings, wing tips removed and cut into 2 pieces
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 4 small dried red chiles
• 2 whole star anise
• one 3" cinnamon stick
• 1/3 c. soy sauce
• 1/3 c. sake [or sherry]
• 3 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp. mirin
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• lime wedges for garnish

Preparation

In a very large nonstick skillet (or in batches), cook the chicken wings over moderate heat, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the giner, chiles, star anise, and cinnamon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sake, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar, and 1/3 c. of water and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the wings are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze, about 8 minutes [CP: this may/will be longer, Don’t Panic.]. Discard the chiles, star anise, and cinnamon. Transfer the chicken wings to a platter, scatter the scallions on top and serve with lime wedges.

Andrew Zimmern, via Austin-American Statesman

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cooked shrimp
• 1/2 lb. frozen peas
• 1 cup chopped celery [or 1 green apple, julienned]
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon
• 1/8 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 oz. chow mein noodles
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preparation

Combine shrimp, peas, celery, and onion and chill.

Mix next five ingredients and chill.

Combine shrimp, sauce, noodles and almonds and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 6 long dried chillies
• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 whole star anise (optional)
• 100g/3½oz smoked lardons, cut into 1cm/½in thick pieces
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded, finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp clear rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 200g/7oz cucumber, halved lengthways, de-seeded and sliced into 1cm/½in thick wedges
• pinch sea salt
• 1-2 pinches dried chilli flakes [CP: omit for heat]
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp chili oil [CP: omit for heat]
• 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• dry-roasted peanuts (optional)

Preparation

Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir fry for a few seconds, or until fragrant.

Add the star anise (if using), bacon lardons and chilli and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the lardons have turned golden-brown at the edges.

Add the rice wine or sherry, vinegar and sesame oil and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the cucumber and stir-fry for a few more seconds.

Season with sea salt, dried chilli flakes and lime juice, stirring well.

Pile the stir-fry onto a serving plate, drizzle over the chilli oil, garnish with the chopped coriander, sprinkle over some peanuts, if using, and serve immediately.

Ching-He Huang, Chinese Food Made Easy, BBC

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Shanghai-style noodles (cu mian) or udon
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 12 oz. ground pork
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chopped peeled ginger
• 3/4 c. chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. (or less) chili oil [this is where to control the heat]
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. tahini
• 1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns
• Pinch sugar
• 2 Tbsp. chopped roasted peanuts
• 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced scallions

Preparation

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to the bite. Drain; transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let stand until cold. Drain well and divide between 2 bowls.

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and stir, breaking up pork with a spoon, until halfway cooked, about 2 minutes. Add ginger; cook until pork is cooked through and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and next 6 ingredients; simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Pour pork mixture over noodles; garnish with peanuts and scallions.

Serves 2.

Peter Chang’s Tasty 2, via Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• Iceberg, red or romaine lettuce leaves, washed and chilled
• Fried rice [Mom: I’ve been making Yangzhou Fried Rice (Epicurious, 7/08)]
• Bamboo shoots
• Snow peas
• One large pork chop
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. mirin, rice wine, sherry, etc.
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 6 oz. mushrooms, sliced thinly

Preparation

Julienne bamboo shoots and snow peas. Thinly slice pork and marinate in soy, wine, and sugar. Stirfry all together with bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Serve in wraps with fried rice.

Ingredients

• 1 3 1/2-lb. chicken
• 1/2 cup sesame oil
• 6 tablespoons peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
• 1/4 cup finely shredded fresh ginger
• 3 scallions, green part included, trimmed and cut into fine strips, 4 inches long
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or shao shing wine
• 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (optional)

Preparation

1. Place the chicken in a covered stock pot filled with enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken stand in the cooking liquid until just warm. Drain, reserving the broth for another use. Rinse the chicken under cold water, pat dry, and rub lightly with sesame oil.

2. Cut the chicken into pieces. Arrange neatly on a platter.

3. Heat the peanut, vegetable, or corn oil in a small saucepan, and when it is hot add the ginger and scallions. Cook about 30 seconds; remove ginger and scallions with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

4. Scatter the ginger and scallions over the chicken.

5. Add the remain ingredients to the oil, bring to a boil and pour over the chicken. Serve at room temperature.

Epicurious, January 2001