Cold-Style Spicy Rabbit (Leng Chi Tu)

Cold-Style Spicy Rabbit (Leng Chi Tu)

Cold-Style Spicy Rabbit (Leng Chi Tu) is a home-style meat dish at difficulty 4/5 (Advanced), about 590 kcal. This is a classic Sichuan Ziguang 'Yanbang' (Salt School) dish. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.

Difficulty

4 / 5

★★★★☆

Advanced
Estimated Calories

590 kcal

Ingredients

  • Rabbit meat
  • Salt
  • MSG (Monosodium glutamate)
  • Oyster sauce
  • Cooking wine
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Scallions/Leeks/Onion
  • Dried red chili peppers
  • Green Sichuan peppercorns
  • Anise star
  • Cassia bark
  • Bay leaf
  • Szechuan lovage root (Shannai)
  • White cardamom
  • Fennel seeds
  • White sesame seeds

Steps

  1. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger; wash the anise star, cassia bark, bay leaves, Szechuan lovage root, and white cardamom and set aside.
  2. Cut the dried red chilies into 2 cm long sections and wash them for later use.
  3. Wash the scallions/leeks/onion. Cut the onion into small pieces.
  4. Chop the rabbit meat into 2 cm cubes. Season with salt, cooking wine, and MSG. Marinate for 15 minutes.
  5. Heat oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Add the scallions/leeks/onion. Stir-fry until fragrant. Remove when they turn slightly brown.
  6. Turn the heat to high to increase oil temperature. When the oil is about 80% hot, add the marinated rabbit meat. Turn to medium-low heat. Remove the rabbit when it turns slightly golden brown.
  7. Increase the oil temperature. Add the red chili pepper sections, green Sichuan peppercorns, anise star, cassia bark, bay leaves, Szechuan lovage root, white cardamom, and fennel seeds. Reduce heat to low to fry the peppers until crispy.
  8. Return the rabbit meat to the wok. Add oyster sauce and stir-fry for a few minutes.
  9. Turn off the heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and white sesame seeds. Stir-fry until evenly mixed.
  10. Leave to cool overnight for better flavor.

Notes

This is a classic Sichuan Ziguang 'Yanbang' (Salt School) dish. It is spicy, numbing, dry, and aromatic. The texture of the rabbit meat is firm and chewy; it tastes spicy first, then fresh, with a lingering aftertaste. Rabbit meat is high in protein, low in fat, rich in lecithin and various amino acids, making it nutritious and easy to digest. This process requires handling many spices and strictly controlling the heat, making it a challenge for beginners. From prep to cooking completion takes about 1.5 hours, but the flavor is superior after sitting overnight, so preparation ahead of time is worth it.

Estimated Difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated Calories: 590 kcal

Calculations:
- Salt = 2 grams per jin (500g) of rabbit meat
- MSG = 1 gram per jin of rabbit meat
- Oyster sauce = 5 grams per jin of rabbit meat
- Cooking wine = 10 grams per jin of rabbit meat
- Oil = 0.9 ～ 1 liter per jin of rabbit meat
- Garlic = Half a head per jin of rabbit meat
- Ginger = Same amount as garlic
- Total Scallions/Leeks/onion = 15 grams per jin of rabbit meat
- Dried red chilies = Total volume roughly equal to the volume of the rabbit meat
- Green Sichuan peppercorns = 1 whole bowl (approx. corresponding to 1.5 jin of rabbit meat depending on bowl size)
- Anise star = 1 piece per jin of rabbit meat
- Cassia bark = A thumb-sized strip per jin of rabbit meat
- Bay leaves = 5 leaves per jin of rabbit meat
- Szechuan lovage root = A soybean-sized piece per jin of rabbit meat
- White cardamom = 2 seeds per jin of rabbit meat
- Fennel seeds = 15 grams per jin of rabbit meat
- White sesame seeds = 25 grams per jin of rabbit meat

Use the above conditions to calculate the ratio of raw materials planned for use.

Note for step 6: The oil should cover the rabbit meat; if not, add more oil promptly.

Note for step 7: The peppers are very prone to burning and turning black. This process is very fast, so keep the heat low. Basically, once most of the water moisture has evaporated, you can return the rabbit meat.

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