Dry-Fried Chicken with Potatoes

Ingredients

• Chicken legs
• Potatoes
• Green bell peppers
• Garlic
• Salt
• White pepper
• Light soy sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Cooking wine
• Cornstarch
• Pixian Doubanjiang (Chili bean paste)
• Sugar
• Crushed Sichuan peppercorns

Steps

1. Remove the bones from the chicken legs. If using chicken fillets, skip this step. Pound the chicken meat using the back of a knife, then cut into 2cm chunks.
2. In the鸡腿肉, add salt, chicken bouillon (optional), white pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and cooking wine. Mix until the mixture sticks slightly to your hands. Add the cornstarch and mix well, then add cooking oil to prevent sticking. Marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut into 2cm chunks. Parboil in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly to prevent the oil from splattering during frying.
4. Remove the seeds from the green bell peppers and cut into 2cm slices. Set aside in a colander.
5. Add a generous amount of oil to the pan (enough to cover the ingredients based on pan size) and heat to 180℃. Fry the potato chunks for 3 minutes and remove.
6. When the oil temperature rises back to 180℃, add the chicken chunks and fry for 2 minutes, then remove.
7. Raise the oil temperature to 180℃ and fry the chicken chunks a second time (double fry) for 1 minute, then remove.
8. Heat the oil to 180℃ again and fry the potato chunks a second time for 1 minute. Place a colander over the pot, pour the oil and potato chunks through the colander into a separate container, and briefly blanch the reserved green pepper slices in the remaining oil.
9. Add 5ml of cooking oil to the pan and stir-fry the garlic cloves over low heat until slightly yellow. Add the Pixian Doubanjiang to stir-fry until fragrant. Add the sugar and stir until melted. Add the crushed Sichuan peppercorns, then 40ml of water. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
10. Add the fried chicken chunks, potato chunks, and green pepper slices. Mix well and serve.