Ingredients
1 young rooster (about 1500 g / 3.3 lbs), 25 g crispy peanuts, 750 g (about 3 cups) broth.
Seasonings
40 g (about 3 tablespoons) sugar, 20 g (about 4 teaspoons) soy sauce, 15 g (about 1 tablespoon) each of Pixian broad bean paste, fermented egg yolk, vinegar, and Shaoxing wine, 10 g (about 2 teaspoons) each of chili oil, sesame paste, sesame oil, ginger, and scallion, 3 g (about 1 teaspoon) Sichuan pepper powder, and 1 g (about 1/4 teaspoon) MSG.
Instructions
1. Kill and clean a young rooster, gut it, remove the head, neck, and feet, then blanch it in boiling water. Transfer to a pot of boiling seasoned broth, add ginger, scallions, and cooking wine, and cook until just done. Remove, soak in cold broth until cool, then drain and pat dry. Debone completely and slice, shred, or cut into pieces as desired.
2. Finely chop the Pixian broad bean paste and stir-fry until crisp; mash the preserved egg yolks into a paste, then combine with soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, Sichuan pepper powder, sugar, sesame paste, MSG, and sesame oil to create the "strange flavor" sauce; finely chop the crispy peanuts. When serving, plate the chicken, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. This dish fully embodies the unique flavor profile of Sichuan cuisine—rich, savory, and aromatic, with tender and refreshing chicken.