Chicken is the most accessible meat in many places. But how many ways do you know to prepare this, to make it appealing every time. After roast, stew, fried, what's next? This recipe is supposed to have its origin in Szechuan where hot peppers are frequently used. This version uses West Indian pimentos (some of which will have a sting, but definitely a strong but palatable flavour) but the original asks for a handful of dried chilis - which should be cooked in such a way that the peppers are browned but not burst. The dish uses the fat released from the chicken skin; the skin slowly browns to crispy bits in the rendered fat.
Chicken, four leg-thigh quarters
Pimentos, 12-15 whole (alternatively 20-23 whole dried chilis)
Salt, quarter teaspoon
Red bell pepper, seeded and chopped finely
Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
Dry sherry or white wine, half cup
Hot pepper, small piece if you are using pimentos
Remove skin from chicken, and put into a pot at medium heat. Continue to heat allowing the fat to melt and the skin to brown. Turn skin as needed to brown. Do not allow to burn. When the skin is brown and crisp, remove from the pot, cool, cut into smaller pieces and sprinkle with a little salt.
Cut meat away from the bones into bite sized pieces. The bones may be put away to make soup stock. Season chicken with salt, soy sauce.
After you have removed the skin from the oil, add pimentos to the hot oil all at once. Allow to braise and brown without breaking the skins (this is most important if you are using chilis.) When the peppers are browned - about 5-10 minutes, put in chicken. Stir and cover, allow to cook for a few minutes. Stir again and add sherry or wine. Stir and cover to allow the chicken to cook at lower heat, about 5-10 minutes. Finally add bell pepper and allow to cook covered for 10 minutes.
Serve on a bed of Chinese noodles. Arrange the crisp chicken skin cut into smaller pieces on top. This recipe serves three to four persons. When the noodles are cooked, arrange the pepper chicken on top allowing the noodles to soak up the sauce.
Chicken, four leg-thigh quarters
Pimentos, 12-15 whole (alternatively 20-23 whole dried chilis)
Salt, quarter teaspoon
Red bell pepper, seeded and chopped finely
Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
Dry sherry or white wine, half cup
Hot pepper, small piece if you are using pimentos
Remove skin from chicken, and put into a pot at medium heat. Continue to heat allowing the fat to melt and the skin to brown. Turn skin as needed to brown. Do not allow to burn. When the skin is brown and crisp, remove from the pot, cool, cut into smaller pieces and sprinkle with a little salt.
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| Chicken skin crackling - cut into smaller pieces |
After you have removed the skin from the oil, add pimentos to the hot oil all at once. Allow to braise and brown without breaking the skins (this is most important if you are using chilis.) When the peppers are browned - about 5-10 minutes, put in chicken. Stir and cover, allow to cook for a few minutes. Stir again and add sherry or wine. Stir and cover to allow the chicken to cook at lower heat, about 5-10 minutes. Finally add bell pepper and allow to cook covered for 10 minutes.
Serve on a bed of Chinese noodles. Arrange the crisp chicken skin cut into smaller pieces on top. This recipe serves three to four persons. When the noodles are cooked, arrange the pepper chicken on top allowing the noodles to soak up the sauce.
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| Bits of crackly skin atop chicken with peppers on a nest of noodles |
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| Made in Italy with bird peppers, no bell pepper and lots of crackly skin |
Looks and sounds delicious..... will have to try it,....I love that spicy accent with the hot peppers,..in fact I have dried hot bird peppers,which I add to everything,....I put them also in stewed fish in tomato sauce with lots of onions,....nice and hot!!!
ReplyDeleteDried bird peppers are a good substitute for dried chilis. You just have to be careful not to put too many or to have them all bursting. They blister nicely in the chicken fat. With pimentos, it doesn't matter if they burst and you can eat them like veg! But it's supposed to be a dish with a lot of zing and fire.
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