Mouth-Watering Chicken (Kou Shui Ji)
A classic Sichuan cold dish, mouth-watering chicken features tender chicken drenched in a spicy chili oil sauce, topped with crushed peanuts and scallions. It's a flavor explosion.
Ingredients
14 items- Chicken thighs 2 pieces
- Ginger 3 slices
- Scallions 2 stalks
- Cooking wine 1 tbsp
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tsp
- Chili oil 3 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Black vinegar 1 tbsp
- Sugar 1/2 tbsp
- Garlic 3 cloves
- Ground Sichuan peppercorn 1/2 tsp
- Peanuts 2 tbsp
- White sesame seeds 1 tsp
- Cilantro some
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Soak chicken thighs in cold water for 20 minutes, changing water once to remove blood. Drain and pat dry.
Place chicken in a pot with water to cover. Add ginger, scallion sections, cooking wine, and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
Check doneness: insert a chopstick into the thickest part; no blood means done. Turn off heat, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes for extra tenderness.
Transfer chicken immediately to ice water to cool completely, about 5 minutes. Drain and cut into strips. Arrange on a plate.
In a small bowl, combine chili oil, light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, minced garlic, and ground Sichuan peppercorn. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Heat a small pan over low heat. Add peanuts and stir-fry until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Crush into coarse pieces.
Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, scallion greens, and chopped cilantro.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve cold. Enjoy!
Tips
Ice-blanching after boiling gives the chicken skin a crispy texture and keeps the meat tender. Make chili oil a day ahead for deeper flavor. Toast peanuts fresh for best aroma.
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