Tender and succulent chicken with a savory, slightly spicy flavor, complemented by crisp, refreshing vegetables.
The vastness of Chinese cuisine is beyond imagination; many dishes may seem similar at first glance, but taste completely different. This is true for Small Pan-Fried Young Chicken. This dish may appear similar to other chicken stir-fry methods, but cooking isn't just about technique—the addition of certain side ingredients and seasonings gives it a unique character. With green bamboo shoots and celery hearts, complemented by pickled chilies, the flavor immediately becomes distinctive. Thus, the essence of Chinese cooking lies in "versatility" built on a solid foundation, which is what makes it so compelling.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
350 g boneless chicken thigh meat (about 250 g after deboning)
For convenience, home cooks can use chicken thighs instead of the traditional small rooster; chicken breast is too dry and chewy, so it is not recommended.
Additional Ingredients
Lettuce (or Chinese lettuce) - to taste
celery heart, to taste
Marinade
1 g salt
5 g (about 1 teaspoon) yellow rice wine
Seasonings for the sauce
10 g (about 2 teaspoons) Shaoxing wine
soy sauce 10 g (about 2 teaspoons)
5 g (about 1 teaspoon) vinegar
1 g salt
White pepper and sesame oil, a pinch of each
Other Seasonings
dried pickled chili peppers, to taste
green onion, ginger, and garlic, each to taste
Cornstarch, to taste
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Remove the bones from the chicken legs, give them a few light taps with the flat side of a knife, then cut into strips about 4 cm long and 1 cm thick. Toss with the meat marinade ingredients until well coated, then add a little water starch and mix again until evenly coated (Image 2).
*Lightly pound the chicken thigh meat with a knife to loosen the texture for a better mouthfeel.
② Peel the lettuce and cut into strips, lightly salt and let sit; cut celery heart into sections, slice pickled chili into small pieces, and slice scallion, ginger, and garlic for later use (Image 3).
*Salting the lettuce draws out excess moisture, making it more crisp after stir-frying and preventing excess liquid from seeping into the finished dish.
*The tender inner stalks of celery are known as "celery hearts" in Sichuan cuisine.
Step 3: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, add an appropriate amount of cornstarch, and stir until smooth. Set aside (see Figure 4).
Pan-fried chicken strips
④Heat a wok over high heat, add the usual amount of cooking oil for stir-frying. When the oil reaches about 70% hot (moderately high heat), spread the marinated chicken strips evenly in the wok and pan-fry for about 20 seconds, then flip them over and fry for another 20 seconds (Figure 5).
*Pan-frying the chicken first makes the skin more springy and helps render out some of the fat from the skin.
Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
⑤ Add the pickled chilies, scallions, ginger, and garlic to the wok and stir-fry over high heat for 10 seconds until fragrant (Image 6). Then add the bamboo shoot strips and stir-fry for about 15 seconds (Image 7). Pour in the prepared sauce and stir quickly (Image 8). Finally, add the celery hearts, stir a few times, and remove from the wok (Image 9).
*Stir-fry over high heat the entire time; there's no need to worry about overcooking.
*Stir-fry the pickled chilies until they are fully cooked and fragrant, otherwise they will taste raw. Alternatively, you can add the pickled chilies slightly earlier to ensure they cook through properly.
*Lettuce can be eaten raw, so don't stir-fry it too long—keeping the cooking time short ensures a crisp, refreshing texture; the same goes for celery hearts—just a quick toss to coat them evenly in the sauce, then remove from heat immediately.
Before pouring the sauce into the wok, give it a good stir, otherwise the cornstarch will settle at the bottom and won't pour out properly, preventing the sauce from thickening and leaving the entire dish bland and tasteless.
Flexible application
This method works well with all types of meat, just be sure to choose tender cuts.