Chongqing Chili Oil Preparation Steps

Ingredients:
Sanhuang Chicken (Three-Yellow Chicken): appropriate amount

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Ginger: appropriate amount

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Scallion: appropriate amount

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Garlic: appropriate amount

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Sichuan Peppercorn Oil: appropriate amount

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Bullet Chili Peppers: appropriate amount

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Lantern Chili Peppers: appropriate amount

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Salt: appropriate amount

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Cooking Wine: appropriate amount

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Fermented Black Beans (Douchi): appropriate amount

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Light Soy Sauce: appropriate amount

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Sesame Oil: appropriate amount

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Rice Vinegar: appropriate amount

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White Granulated Sugar: appropriate amount

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Three Nai (Spice): appropriate amount

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Star Anise: appropriate amount

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Bay Leaves: appropriate amount

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Instructions:

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1. After slaughtering, rinse the chicken thoroughly with water.

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2. Place the chicken in a pot, add ginger, scallion, and cooking wine. Cook over medium heat.

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3. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it steep for approximately 40 minutes. (The rationale is that boiling for 5 minutes over medium heat ensures the chicken is mostly cooked through; steeping allows the chicken to absorb the necessary heat and moisture, resulting in tender yet firm meat.)

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4. After steeping, remove the chicken and immerse it in cooled boiled water to chill, which helps maintain a delicate and smooth skin texture.
6. Add a small amount of oil to the pot. When the oil reaches about 30% of its heating capacity (approximately 90°C), add spices such as chili peppers, sand ginger, and star anise into the pot for stir-frying.

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7. Stir-fry until the moisture evaporates and the ingredients become dry and crisp, then remove and let them cool.

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8. Chop them into fine pieces, or use a blender to grind into powder. However, we prefer chopping into small chunks as this produces a more aromatic chili oil.

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9. Place the chopped chili pieces into a heat-resistant bowl, and add an appropriate amount of fermented black beans.

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10. Heat oil in the pot until it reaches a high temperature and emits blue smoke, then turn off the heat. Allow the oil to cool to about 80% of its maximum heat (approximately 200°C), then pour it over the chili pieces in the bowl for soaking.

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11. At this point, the preliminary chili oil is ready. (Two types of dried chilies are used here: if only bullet-head chilies are used, the resulting oil will be very spicy; adding some lantern chilies helps balance the spiciness and enhances the aroma.)

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12. Use a garlic masher to mash ginger and garlic into a paste.

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13. Finely chop the scallions into small pieces.

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14. Place the ginger-garlic paste into a bowl, then add vinegar, light soy sauce, white sugar, and other seasonings, stirring evenly.
15. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the residue of garlic and ginger.

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16. From the prepared chili oil, take only the red oil on the surface and mix it into the seasoned sauce. Finally, sprinkle with sesame seeds. The sauce for Mouthwatering Chicken is now ready. (If peanuts are available, add some for extra fragrance.)

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17. Cut the chicken into appropriately sized pieces and arrange them in a bowl.

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18. Pour the prepared red chili oil over the chicken, and finally sprinkle with chopped green onions. This famous Mouthwatering Chicken is now complete.

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