Go Back
Print Recipe

Jiaomaji (椒麻鸡) Cold Chicken in Sichuan Pepper-Scallion Oil

Adapted from Sichuan (China) Cuisine in Both Chinese and English, published in China in 2010 by the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine and the Sichuan Gourmet Association.
Author: Taylor Holliday | The Mala Market | Inspiration & Ingredients for Cooking Sichuan

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken (2 split breasts or 4 thighs)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
  • kosher salt
  • 6 fresh scallions, finely chopped by hand or food processor
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground green Sichuan pepper see note
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil or cooked caiziyou (Chinese roasted rapeseed oil)
  • 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ cup clear chili oil see note
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese light soy sauce (Zhongba preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon tengjiaoyou (green Sichuan pepper oil)
  • 4 tablespoons juice from steamed chicken

Instructions

  • Wash and dry chicken pieces and put in a glass pie plate or bowl that fits in your steamer. Lift skin and spread ginger paste between skin and flesh. Sprinkle skin with kosher salt.
  • Fill steamer with water, and when it starts to steam, carefully place bowl into steamer and replace lid. Let steam over moderate heat around 35 minutes for breasts or 30 minutes for thighs. Remove chicken from bowl to a cutting board and let cool enough to handle. Slice into large bite-size pieces, chopping through the bones and including them if you have a meat cleaver. Arrange on a serving plate or bowl.
  • Make jiaoma sauce by mixing minced scallions with Sichuan pepper powder, canola oil and ½ teaspoon sesame oil.
  • Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl or measuring cup: 1 tablespoon sesame oil, chili oil, soy sauce, Sichuan pepper oil and juice from steamed chicken. Mix well and pour over the chopped chicken. Spoon jiaoma scallions over the top of the chicken. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Ground Sichuan pepper: Sort Sichuan peppercorns and discard any black seeds or twigs. Toast in a dry skillet or toaster oven until pods start to smell very fragrant, but do not brown them. Let peppercorns cool, then grind in a spice grinder or in a mortar & pestle to your desired coarseness. Sift out any yellow husks that don't break down. Sichuan pepper powder will retain its potent flavor and numbing punch for only a few weeks.
Chili oil: Follow our recipe for homemade chili oil.