Chongqing municipality / Sichuan Province, China — a late 20th century classic of the Chongqing restaurant scene
La zi ji is Sichuan-Chongqing cooking taken to its dramatic extreme: a mountain of dried chillies in which nuggets of fried chicken are buried like treasure. The ratio is theatrical — the chillies vastly outnumber the chicken — and they are not meant to be eaten in their entirety, but to release fragrance and heat into the oil as the dish is assembled. The technique is a two-stage fry: bone-in chicken pieces (typically thigh and drumstick, chopped small through the bone) are marinated briefly in soy and Shaoxing wine, dusted in cornstarch, and deep-fried until the skin is crisp and the interior just cooked. The wok is then made intensely hot with a small amount of oil, dried Sichuan chillies (whole) and Sichuan peppercorns are bloomed until fragrant and beginning to darken, the fried chicken is added back, and the whole is tossed rapidly for under a minute — just long enough for every piece to absorb the chilli-fragrant oil and develop the characteristic dry, aromatic crust. Finished with sesame seeds and scallion, this dish is designed to be eaten slowly, digging through the chillies for each piece of chicken, building heat gradually rather than arriving all at once.
fiery, numbing, aromatic, dry, intensely savoury
Fry the chicken twice if possible — first at 170°C to cook through, second at 190°C for crispness The chilli quantity is intentional and non-negotiable — use the full amount Bloom dried chillies in oil until just fragrant, before they turn black — seconds, not minutes The final toss with chicken must be fast and hot — the goal is coating, not further cooking Sichuan peppercorns are essential for the ma (numbing) component Bone-in chicken, chopped small, is traditional — boneless loses the textural contrast
De-stem the dried chillies but keep whole — scissors are faster than a knife A small amount of Chinese black vinegar added at the very end (off heat) brightens the entire dish For home cooks: preheat the wok for a full 3 minutes on maximum heat before adding oil Choose facing heaven chillies (朝天椒) or similar medium-heat variety — pure heat with good fragrance The chicken can be marinated overnight in the refrigerator for deeper flavour This dish is better at the restaurant level of heat than medium — the numbing from Sichuan peppercorns balances the chilli and makes it manageable
Using fresh chillies — they release moisture and prevent the dry aromatic crust from forming Burning the dried chillies — they turn bitter and acrid Frying the chicken in batches that are too large and lower the oil temperature Skipping the double-fry — single-fried chicken lacks the necessary crispness Adding sauce or liquid at the end — the dish should be dry, not sauced Removing the seeds from the dried chillies — they carry heat that balances the fragrance
The Food of Sichuan — Fuchsia Dunlop