Sichuan Province — named after Qing dynasty Governor Ding Baozhen
One of the most famous Sichuan dishes: diced chicken, dried chillies, and peanuts in a sweet-sour-spicy sauce named after Qing dynasty official Ding Baozhen. The authentic version uses Sichuan dried chillies, Sichuan pepper, and the characteristic sweet-sour-savoury sauce. Very different from the Westernised thick-sauce version served internationally.
Perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy with the numbing background of Sichuan pepper; textural contrast of tender chicken and crunchy peanut
{"Chicken: thigh meat, 1.5cm dice, velveted in egg white and starch","Dried chillies must be wok-fried until fragrant and dark — not burnt; the smoky chilli oil is the base","Sauce: soy, vinegar (Zhenjiang), sugar, sesame oil — balanced between sweet, sour, and salty","Peanuts added last — roasted, not fried at the end; must remain crunchy"}
{"Zhenjiang vinegar is essential — its fruity acidity creates the characteristic balance that rice vinegar cannot achieve","Dried chillies must be seeded for moderate heat; leave seeds in for more authentic fiery version","The chicken should be plated immediately — the crisp exterior of the velveted chicken softens within 5 minutes"}
{"Using breast meat instead of thigh — becomes dry from the high-heat cooking","Adding peanuts too early causing them to soften","Oversweetening — Western versions are far sweeter than the authentic balanced version"}
Land of Plenty — Fuchsia Dunlop