Sichuan chili sauce for wontons

At the end of the dumpling potluck, our wonderful hosts sent us home with their own homemade pork and shrimp wontons. Later that evening, we prepared Sichuan chili sauce according to this recipe: https://redhousespice.com/sichuan-spicy-wonton-in-chili-oil/ We used store-bought chili oil, but we supplemented with toasted sesame oil (about a 2:1 ratio of chili oil to sesame).… Continue reading Sichuan chili sauce for wontons

Sichuan stirfried chicken breast, mushrooms, and asparagus

We tried this recipe: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/pork-and-mushroom-stir-fry/ We followed the instructions but made protein and vegetable substitutions. First, we used 8 oz chicken cutlets (thinly sliced across the grain, approx. 1/8″ thick) instead of pork. Second, we dislike biting into ginger or garlic slices, so we microplaned both ginger and garlic. Third, instead of shiitake mushrooms, we…… Continue reading Sichuan stirfried chicken breast, mushrooms, and asparagus

Ma po tofu with minced chicken

I grew up eating the pork version of this dish at Chinese restaurants, and every once in a while my mother made this at home from a ma po seasoning packet. Back in 2014, I decided to try a scratch recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Tofu cookbook. Over time, I tweaked her ma po tofu… Continue reading Ma po tofu with minced chicken

Sichuan napa cabbage with cellophane noodles

We tried this recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-napa-cabbage-with-glass-noodles/ Our modifications: first, we first sauteed 1/2 lb minced chicken in 1 Tbsp oil until browned, then we added only 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns (instead of 2 tsp whole) and kept them in the stirfry. We added the scallions and microplaned ginger, then proceeded with the recipe. After the… Continue reading Sichuan napa cabbage with cellophane noodles

Sichuan bean thread noodles with minced pork

We tried this recipe: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/ants-climbing-a-tree/ Our modifications: first, we reduced the bean thread noodles from 200 g to 160 g dried (4 small bundles from an 8-pack). We also used ½ lb minced pork as a proxy for 1 cup. Second, we reduced the doubanjiang to 2 tsp from 1 Tbsp (3 tsp). Third, we… Continue reading Sichuan bean thread noodles with minced pork

Sichuan-style cellophane noodles with smoked tofu, asparagus, and enoki mushroom

We made substantial modifications to this recipe to make it almost vegetarian (we used chicken stock): https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/ants-climbing-a-tree/ Our modifications: first, we used 300 mg (1 bundle) Korean sweet potato cellophane noodles (dang myun). Because they are thicker than bean thread noodles, we parboiled the cellophane noodle for 4 mins, drained, rinsed in cold water, and… Continue reading Sichuan-style cellophane noodles with smoked tofu, asparagus, and enoki mushroom

Sichuan minced pork with cellophane noodles (ma yi shang shu)

We tried this recipe: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/ants-climbing-a-tree/. Our modifications: first, based on our pantry, we used Korean sweet potato cellophane noodles (dang myun). Because they are thicker than bean thread noodles, we parboiled the cellophane noodle for 4 mins, drained, rinsed in cold water, and then set aside. Second, we used ½ lb minced pork. Also, to… Continue reading Sichuan minced pork with cellophane noodles (ma yi shang shu)

Sichuan dry-fried green beans with minced pork and pickled radish

We tried this recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/szechuan-dry-fried-green-beans/ We made minimal modifications: first, we used Chinese long beans (trimmed and cut into string bean length). Second, we reduced the pickled radish to 1 Tbsp, which we rinsed and drained. Third, we used a large nonstick wok. Finally, we reduced the Sichuan peppercorns to ½ tsp, and then at… Continue reading Sichuan dry-fried green beans with minced pork and pickled radish

Chinese five-spice peanuts, pressure cooker style

We devised this recipe for shelled raw peanuts as follows: first, place 2 cups raw shelled red-skinned peanuts in the bottom of a small (8-quart) pressure cooker, add 4 cups water, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 whole star anise, ¼ tsp fennel seeds, 1/8 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, 1/16 tsp cloves (we used ground cloves), and… Continue reading Chinese five-spice peanuts, pressure cooker style