Yao's Laziji

Tags: dinner - chicken - keto - Asian
Active Time: 40 minutes
Passive Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2

Laziji (aka Chongqing Chicken) is a dish of crispy, deep-fried chicken stir-fried with lots of dried chilis and Sichuan spices. This recipe is a work in progress for emulating Yao's Laziji

• Chicken thigh: 1 lb, boneless, skinless, cut into very small cubes
• Shaoxing wine: 1 splash
• Kosher salt: enough to marinate chicken
  
  
• Neutral oil: 500g
  
  
• Garlic: 7+ cloves, sliced
• Ginger: about the same amount as garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• Scallion whites: from 3 scallions, sliced into 1cm cylinders or minced
  
  
• Dried chili peppers: a handful or two, cut into sections (or left whole for a less spicy dish)
• Sauce: see notes
• White sesame seeds: for garnish
• Scallion greens: for garnish (thinly sliced)

• I haven't nailed down the sauce recipe yet. I've found the store bought mixes to be quite tasty. I've also found that Yao's uses Union Food brand broad bean sauce and chili sauce. MSG and ground sichuan chili pepper is likely a must. Maybe a dash of sugar. Probably some sichuan peppercorn oil
• Don't forget to serve with rice

1. Marinate chicken for 15m+ in wine and salt
2. Heat oil in wok to 400F for deep-frying
3. Deep fry chicken in batches of no more than 170g. Fry for a bit until outside is light golden brown, then remove (separate stuck together pieces as necessary) and reheat oil to 400F. Then fry a second time until dark golden and crispy. Repeat the double-deep-fry for each batch of 170g
4. Remove all except for 1/4c oil from wok. On high heat, stir fry garlic, ginger, and scallion whites for a few seconds just until fragrant and softened
5. Add dried chili peppers, chicken, and dry spices if using (see note). Stir fry a few more seconds
6. Add sauce, stir fry a few more seconds. Plate and garnish with white sesame seeds and scallion greens