Guizhou Spicy Chicken-贵州辣子鸡, is very different from the dry, crisp laziji associated with Chongqing and Sichuan. The defining ingredient is cíbā làjiāo—a coarse paste of softened dried chilies, ginger and garlic fried in oil—which is cooked with the chicken until the meat becomes deeply infused with chile and coated in a rich, glossy red mixture.
Traditionally, Guìzhōu Làzǐ Jī is prepared by chopping bone-in chicken into small pieces, bone and all. I’ve taken a slightly different approach. I remove the larger pieces of meat from the thighs and cut them into bite-size pieces, but I also keep the thigh bones, with some meat still attached, and cook them along with the chicken. This keeps the richness and character of the traditional preparation while making the finished dish considerably easier to eat.
The essential cíbā làjiāo is easy to make at home; see my step-by-step recipe for Cíbā Chili Paste (Cíbā Làjiāo, 糍粑辣椒), Cíbā Chili Paste (Cíbā Làjiāo, 糍粑辣椒)
Here are a few recipes from nearby regions:
Hunan Stir-Fried Shrimp with Chopped Green Chilies (青剁椒虾)
Making Duo Jiao: Hunan Fermented Chopped Chilies
Hunan Pork Belly with Seared Peppers
Twice-Cooked Pork: From Joyce Chen’s 1961 Kitchen to Today’s Sichuan Pantry
Authentic Sichuan Tofu Recipe for Home Cooks
Sichuan Chicken: Velveting-The Chinese Trick to Perfectly Tender Chicken
And of course, My Favorite Recipes
Ingredients:
2 lbs (approx. 900g) bone-in Chicken Thighs. Remove the larger portions of meat from the bones and cut into bite-size pieces, leaving some meat attached to the intact thigh bones. Reserve both the meat and bones. You can also debone the thighs to get smaller bite size pieces.
2 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Cornstarch
5 Tbsp Cooking oil, I like avocado oil due to the high smoke point.
6 Tbsp Cíbā Chili Paste, solids plus chili oil.
10 cloves Garlic, peeled and kept whole.
2 inch piece Fresh Ginger, unpeeled and cut into thick coins.
1 Tbsp Tianmianjiang, if unavailable, substitute 1½–2 tsp Doubanjiang mixed with ½ tsp sugar.
2 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine, for deglazing.
1/2 -3/4 cup Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1 tsp Whole Sichuan peppercorns, left whole.
3 Scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths. White and green parts separated.
Preparation:
Toss the chicken with Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper, and cornstarch. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat a seasoned wok or heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add the 5 Tbsp of oil. Spread the chicken pieces in a single layer. Sear without moving for 2–3 minutes to render fat and develop golden browning on the edges. You may need to do the chicken in two batches.
Stir-fry for another 3–4 minutes until the chicken is well seared, but not necessarily cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the wok.
Lower heat to medium. Add the whole garlic cloves, ginger coins, and Sichuan peppercorns to the remaining oil. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the cíbā chili paste and sweet wheat paste (tianmianjiang) or Doubanjiang
Stir-fry continuously over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes. The paste will fry, deepening to a glossy mahogany-red and releasing an intense roasted-chili aroma. Return the seared chicken and any resting juices back to the wok, tossing to coat every piece in the chili paste.
Pour the Shaoxing wine around the edges of the wok to deglaze, followed by the chicken stock. The liquid should come about halfway up the chicken.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until the chicken is tender and fully infused with flavor.
Remove the lid, add the white pieces of scallion and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir frequently to reduce the sauce. The liquid will emulsify with the chili oil and starch, transforming into a thick, clinging red sauce (about 4–6 minutes).
Toss in the green scallion segments during the final minute of reduction until just wilted.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with steamed rice.