Ningqiang Numbing-Spicy Chicken 宁强麻辣鸡

Ningqiang Numbing-Spicy Chicken (宁强麻辣鸡) is cooked, cooled and dressed with chilli oil, ground Sichuan pepper and ginger juice. China Weather’s account of the Wangpo version (王婆麻辣鸡) describes golden chicken with tender flesh, a crisp bite and a pronounced numbing-spicy flavour.

Simmered, then cooled

The recipe starts with a local rooster. It is placed in cold water and brought to a boil, then skimmed. Tsaoko, star anise, sharen (砂仁), white cardamom, Sichuan pepper, ginger and scallion season the gentle simmer. The bird is drained and cooled before being cut into chunks.

The final dressing

Salt and ground Sichuan pepper are mixed through the chicken, which stands for ten minutes. Ginger is crushed and squeezed for its juice. This juice is combined with oil-splashed chilli, MSG and chicken stock, then poured over the pieces and mixed before plating.