Chinese Salt & Chilli Chicken

Zascar

Chinese Salt & Chilli Chicken is one of my favourite meals. I get it from www.letseatin.ie if anyone knows the one. Really wanted to know how to replicate it. Today I tried with this recepie with what I had available (most but not everything) - it was ok but nowhere near as good as the one from letseatin.

Does anyone know how to make this dish as they do - and can you give me any pointers?

Faith

Here? Replace pepper with chilli, and use a different cut of chicken if you prefer. It's not exact, but might be close. It's from this thread.

MissFlitworth

I'd definitely give that one a go, Jassha had the knowing of these things.

All hail Jassha and may he return to walk among us again.

RJohnG

Simple recipe.

There's two ways to make this dish. Strips of chicken breast or chicken wings. Both very different in their preparation.

I presume this is not a starter so here goes.

Cut your chicken breast into strips and marinade for 30 minutes in salt, pepper, sesame oil. For this you use potato starch and egg as your batter. Make your batter and dip the chicken strips in, until fully coated. Deep fry them about 175c for 5 minutes. Put aside.

Now you need a salt and chili pepper mix. There are many recipes and ways to do this.

Here's one I like.
This will make a batch you can keep and use again many times.

5 Tbsp salt (you can dry fry but there's no need really)
3 Tbsp MSG
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tsp 5 spice
1/2 Tsp chili powder
1/2 Tsp garlic powder

Put them in a shaker and shake. It's that easy!

Now take your pre-cooked chicken and quickly reheat in hot oil.

Dry the chicken off and transfer to a DRY wok (no oil) and add long cut onion and chillies in the mix. Toss the contents of the wok then apply your salt and pepper mix at least 3 times.

Finished. This should re-create your best Chinese salt and chili pepper meal.

*Edit. You can also put long cut green peppers in the wok with this dish. Just looked at our photos we add peppers. Note: Wok skills are required to make this dish as you season the chicken then flip it each time. medium heat. very quickly done you are just mixing it all up basically.*

allandanyways

This one is ridiculously good and won't hurt your arteries too much! :cool:

http://thenakedblondie.com/2015/02/02/crispy-shredded-chilli-chicken/

Riverireland

Can't help you with the chicken part but for salt and chilli chips I just do the following. Sliced peppers and onions in a hot pan with some oil, sliced chillis and 5 spice. Add the cooked chips and toss around. I prefer it to the Chinese version, no mouth burn from too much salt. If I wanted chicken I'd just add breaded chicken strips.

thegreatiam

RJohnG wrote: »

Cut your chicken breast into strips and marinade for 30 minutes in salt, pepper, sesame oil. For this you use potato starch and egg as your batter. Make your batter and dip the chicken strips in, until fully coated. Deep fry them about 175c for 5 minutes. Put aside.

Now you need a salt and chili pepper mix. There are many recipes and ways to do this.

Here's one I like.
This will make a batch you can keep and use again many times.

5 Tbsp salt (you can dry fry but there's no need really)
3 Tbsp MSG
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tsp 5 spice
1/2 Tsp chili powder
1/2 Tsp garlic powder

Put them in a shaker and shake. It's that easy!

Now take your pre-cooked chicken and quickly reheat in hot oil.

Dry the chicken off and transfer to a DRY wok (no oil) and add long cut onion and chillies in the mix. Toss the contents of the wok then apply your salt and pepper mix at least 3 times.

came here to post almost this exact recipe.
used to make it like this in the takeaway, been my go to ever since

RJohnG

thegreatiam wrote: »

came here to post almost this exact recipe.
used to make it like this in the takeaway, been my go to ever since

We have a Chinese/Thai restaurant and that's exactly how it's made.

If it's a starter then the chicken wings are boiled in spices then deep fried in a potato starch/egg batter then dry fried in a wok with the pepper mix and veg. Cheers.

*edit. The mix is NOT set in stone you can add black pepper or even ginger powder to it. There's Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese versions of this*

rubadub

RJohnG wrote: »

We have a Chinese/Thai restaurant and that's exactly how it's made.

Hi John, I have been following your recent posts with great interest and presumed you worked in restaurants. Thanks for posting.

In another thread you mentioned marinating beef with baking soda, I would be interested to hear about this technique.

Some years ago we had another poster (jassha) who worked in restaurants who listed lots of recipies. This is thread is here.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056077430

It might be an idea to continue posting recipies in that thread, but the moderators may object. I saw another old thread you revived was closed but the one I linked is a little different as it was a list of recipes and not an unanswered question. Or maybe it could be a new version of that thread rather than have posts in numerous threads which are difficult to find. Some others might have better suggestions.

The Hill Billy

Jassha's thread would be ideal.

tHB

Taboola

Is potato starch easy to get? I've never seen it anywhere. Would Tesco etc have it?

RJohnG

@rubadub

Hi rubadub, beef needs to marinade and tenderise before blanching. Some places pre-cook the beef (about 80% cooked) and refrigerate it. Others blanch the prepared beef when an order comes in. This is the best way I.M.H.O.

We use salt, pepper, sesame oil, potato starch, dark soy and the magic ingredient *baking soda* now this can ruin your beef if you use too much. It will turn rubbery and have a disgusting smell from it. You must do it this way.

Add all the above ingredients in a bowl and mix with the beef. Exactly 1 level Tsp of baking soda per 1kg of beef. Baking soda in last this will tenderise it, wont smell and no need to wash it off. You must mix it through really well for about five minutes coating all the beef.

You can either let it rest for an hour then pre-cook it or just let it rest until an order comes in. I presume for home cooking so let it soak for 1 hour then cook it. Your beef will be tender but it should still be slightly chewy if you know what I mean. It should have the marbled effect on it. If your Chinese sells you beef dishes that are spongy and the beef looks smooth with no marbling then they have mucked up (for want of a better word) their processes.

I don't understand the moderating ways on here. Sorry. If they don't want threads of a certain age revived then why not lock them? So members can read but not post in them!

RJohnG

Taboola wrote: »

Is potato starch easy to get? I've never seen it anywhere. Would Tesco etc have it?

I'd imagine so. Potato starch is another secret ingredient and gets used in every chicken and beef dish I can think of. You can use it in the marinade process or simply dip your sliced chicken it it before cooking. This is called 'velveting' and your chicken will come out the wok looking shiny and very moist in the inside.

And of course to make the batter. Egg and potato starch.

padzer

Taboola wrote: »

Is potato starch easy to get? I've never seen it anywhere. Would Tesco etc have it?

Don't know where you are but I got it yesterday in "Asian Food Company" on Mary Street at the bottom of Henry Street in Dublin.

Have all the tools there for it now, cant wait for dinner tonight!

Dodge

Taboola wrote: »

Is potato starch easy to get? I've never seen it anywhere. Would Tesco etc have it?

Unlikely. Can be found in asian/african and some eastern european shops. A good few about now

annie.t

Dodge wrote: »

Unlikely. Can be found in asian/african and some eastern european shops. A good few about now

If you go to a polish shop look for it on the shelf with flour. The product is called"maka ziemniaczana".

Ok scratch that, I thought potato starch and potato flour are the same thing

padzer

RJohnG wrote: »

Simple recipe.

There's two ways to make this dish. Strips of chicken breast or chicken wings. Both very different in their preparation.

I presume this is not a starter so here goes.

Cut your chicken breast into strips and marinade for 30 minutes in salt, pepper, sesame oil. For this you use potato starch and egg as your batter. Make your batter and dip the chicken strips in, until fully coated. Deep fry them about 175c for 5 minutes. Put aside.

Now you need a salt and chili pepper mix. There are many recipes and ways to do this.

Here's one I like.
This will make a batch you can keep and use again many times.

5 Tbsp salt (you can dry fry but there's no need really)
3 Tbsp MSG
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tsp 5 spice
1/2 Tsp chili powder
1/2 Tsp garlic powder

Put them in a shaker and shake. It's that easy!

Now take your pre-cooked chicken and quickly reheat in hot oil.

Dry the chicken off and transfer to a DRY wok (no oil) and add long cut onion and chillies in the mix. Toss the contents of the wok then apply your salt and pepper mix at least 3 times.

Finished. This should re-create your best Chinese salt and chili pepper meal.

*Edit. You can also put long cut green peppers in the wok with this dish. Just looked at our photos we add peppers. Note: Wok skills are required to make this dish as you season the chicken then flip it each time. medium heat. very quickly done you are just mixing it all up basically.*

Thanks, that dinner was amazing.

RJohnG

padzer wrote: »

Thanks, that dinner was amazing.

I forgot to add that Chinese restaurants at the dry fry stage use Chinese cooking wine to set the wok on fire this makes for a glorious taste and aroma. Best not to do that at Home though:)

No matter how good and accurate the recipe you will struggle to achieve that 'takeaway' taste that GOOD Chinese places manage because the wok burner and wok skills are the key to the taste. 'Wok Hei' it's called.

Not all dishes I may add. Sweet sours etc you will get it but any high flame meal you wont.

Use your salt chili pepper mix on chips if you like it. Buy Aviko catering chips (that's what they use amogst other brands) and cook twice using the oil from other dishes and put long cut onions, spring onion (ALWAYS in last) chilies, peppers in the wok and dry fry them. AWESOME.

This salt and pepper mix can be used on prawns, beef, chips, chicken wings and ribs. Salt and pepper ribs are great.

Boil your ribs in spices for 40 minutes then after they dry use the potato starch/egg batter and deep fry for 5 minutes. Then in a wok with veg, dry fry them and coat with the salt chili mix.
Triple cook but this is how they/we prepare ribs. Once boiled they are stored/chilled and deep fried to order then finished off in the wok using either Peking, BBQ, Cantonese, Capital or sweet and sour, black-bean sauces etc.
But that's for another day:)

RJohnG

annie.t wrote: »

If you go to a polish shop look for it on the shelf with flour. The product is called"maka ziemniaczana".

Better buying a brand with 'English' writing on it. Has to say 'use to thicken sauces' there's some really bad potato starches out there (where we are anyway, probably not Ireland).

Thickening a sauce is not easy. You need to know that if it still looks runny in the wok after you put a 'little bit' of water/starch in then that's OK. It will quickly thicken as it cools. Many a dish ruined because of too much starch.

For batter it's fool proof. Just make sure it's well coated and mixed with the egg. Dash of salt, pepper and sesame oil in with it. Fantastic.

rubadub

Taboola wrote: »

Is potato starch easy to get? I've never seen it anywhere. Would Tesco etc have it?

I have never seen it in tesco. My tesco recently got an "asian supermarket section" with brands you tyupically only see in asian supermarkets, and it was separate from the regular sauce & chinese section. No starch though.

My potato starch is made by foo lung ching kee co. it is labelled as "potato flour" but is in fact potato starch. Be careful of this since mean health food shops will have actual potato flour which is made from dried and floured whole potatoes, this is not what you want, it is used for gluten free type cooking.


https://shop.waiyeehong.com/food-ingredients/cooking-ingredients-condiments/flour-batter-breadcrumbs/potato-flour

I would highly recommend using it for chicken.

RJohnG wrote: »

Buy Aviko catering chips (that's what they use amogst other brands)

Is there any reason the takeaways do not cut their own chips? This is a common complaint about them. I only knew of one that cut their own, Jumbo in stillorgan which is not changed to another name. The "chips" were like wedges and delicious, had a Chinese twist to them.

RJohnG wrote: »

Has to say 'use to thicken sauces' there's some really bad potato starches out there (where we are anyway, probably not Ireland).

Have you any brands you can recommend for various ingredients. Pearl river soy sauce was recommended in a recent thread. I am thinking sesame oil, starches etc. Or even which to definitely avoid.

Dubl07

Hi John, thanks for the tips. Can cornflour/cornstarch be used in place of potato starch? I've seen it in other Chinese recipes.

RJohnG

Dubl07 wrote: »

Hi John, thanks for the tips. Can cornflour/cornstarch be used in place of potato starch? I've seen it in other Chinese recipes.

Potato starch is best. Great thickening qualities and doesn't leave any taste. I'd never use anything else.

padzer

rubadub wrote: »

I have never seen it in tesco. My tesco recently got an "asian supermarket section" with brands you tyupically only see in asian supermarkets, and it was separate from the regular sauce & chinese section. No starch though.

My potato starch is made by foo lung ching kee co. it is labelled as "potato flour" but is in fact potato starch. Be careful of this since mean health food shops will have actual potato flour which is made from dried and floured whole potatoes, this is not what you want, it is used for gluten free type cooking.


https://shop.waiyeehong.com/food-ingredients/cooking-ingredients-condiments/flour-batter-breadcrumbs/potato-flour

I would highly recommend using it for chicken.


Is there any reason the takeaways do not cut their own chips? This is a common complaint about them. I only knew of one that cut their own, Jumbo in stillorgan which is not changed to another name. The "chips" were like wedges and delicious, had a Chinese twist to them.

Have you any brands you can recommend for various ingredients. Pearl river soy sauce was recommended in a recent thread. I am thinking sesame oil, starches etc. Or even which to definitely avoid.

Thats the one I picked up in the Asian Food Company on Mary Street.

Okay so I made this tonight. After a few problems, it was a pretty good success.

The first mistake I made was to make a potato starch/egg batter. I used a ratio of 1 egg to 50g of potato starch, which produced a thick, tasteless batter which gave the chicken a rock-like surface. Do not do this. BIN.

Then I consulted google, and made the batter by dipping the chicken in egg and then dipping it very lightly in cornflour. This was much more successful.

Overall it was pretty delicious, but I would personally change the ratios of the salt/chilli mix to increase the sugar and decrease the 5 spice.

All in all I am chuffed to be able to cook my favourite Chinese takeaway dish, so thanks very much for the recipe.

Edited to say: I dipped the chicken in egg and then lightly coated it in potato starch, NOT cornflour.

RJohnG

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Okay so I made this tonight. After a few problems, it was a pretty good success.

The first mistake I made was to make a potato starch/egg batter. I used a ratio of 1 egg to 50g of potato starch, which produced a thick, tasteless batter which gave the chicken a rock-like surface. Do not do this. BIN.

Then I consulted google, and made the batter by dipping the chicken in egg and then dipping it very lightly in cornflour. This was much more successful.

Overall it was pretty delicious, but I would personally change the ratios of the salt/chilli mix to increase the sugar and decrease the 5 spice.

All in all I am chuffed to be able to cook my favourite Chinese takeaway dish, so thanks very much for the recipe.

Salt, pepper and a little bit of sesame oil in the batter mix. The taste comes from the salt, chili pepper mix if you put enough on. Also the flame from the wok. The wok burner is what makes the difference from 'Chinese home cooking' to the real deal. But they are fierce and you need to know how to control the heat. My Wife is a Master (Mistress..lol) on the wok station I can't touch the skills She has when She cooks Chinese and Thai dishes on the burners. I'm jealous though:) I'm more of the 'dogs body' in the business I do all the prep and run the errands etc.:)

Yes you can dip it in the egg and use a tooth pick to pick the chicken up and coat it. You get max saturation this way.

Don't get too hung up about ratios etc there's no set ratio for batter but your oil must be at the correct temp before you cook the chicken. You can also 'double dip' egg then starch egg then starch for a thicker batter etc. Cheers.

The mix is all down to personal taste. Some folks like it spicier if that's the case then an extra sprinkle of chili powder on the meat etc. Customer is King:)

RJohnG

@rubadub

We only use Pearl River Bridge soyas and oyster sauces. The dark soy use 'mushroom flavour' it adds a nice twist to the food. Dark soy is a colouring agent but like I said the dark mushroom flavour is nice.

We tend to use chili bean paste that's made in the 'Sichuan province,' not Lee Kum Kee
as their brand is from Hong Kong.

We use Golden Coins potato starch that's a Thai brand and a fantastic thickener that holds together really well in all dishes.

Yang Jiang preserved black beans. Nothing else comes close.

Oh, as for the chips well, time and effort really. Frozen is best, straight in the deep fryer. Fresh you need to wash, peel then cut to size and par boil to remove the starch etc.