I have a special niece, Bethany, who will often bring me back gifts from her travels. This time she gave me some recipes from 2 cooking classes she attended while on business in China. She knows how much I love to cook and is a follower of my blog. As a matter of fact the idea/implementation of my blog came from her side of my family. She has enjoyed numerous dishes while in China and wanted to share her cooking adventures with me. How lucky am I? Oh, and I also got a nice jar of Sichuan peppercorns – need those for sure.
Bethany attended two classes: The Yunan Recipe Collection: Freshness from the South of China and the other The Sichuan Recipe Collection: Fiery Flavors from the Heart of China. Both classes were taught in Beijing, China by The Hutong Kitchen.
There is a total of 10 recipes from each area and they are printed in a packet form; two to a page, front and back. Very professionally done and the recipes use fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Sichuan cuisine contains a variety of flavors where chefs use bean pastes, rice vinegar, sichuan peppercorns, pickled vegetables, preserved chilies and dried peppers to create a cuisine that is fragrant, sour, spicy and sweet. I have chosen the following recipe from the Sichuan collection to make first.
We do love our potatoes and this recipe is especially tasty, but hot and spicy!
Sichuan Spicy Sour Shredded Potatoes
Recipe slightly adapted from The Hutong Kitchen, Beijing, China
- 700 g of (russet) potatoes (I used 6 small potatoes – see pictures)
- 4 dried chilies, de-seeded and diced in 1 cm pieces, (1/2″ or less) I used Tien Tsin or Chinese Red Peppers (See Note 1 and Note 4)
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. of fresh ginger, minced (I prefer 1/2 tbsp.)
- 1 tsp. of Sichuan peppercorns (See Note 2 and Note 4)
- 4 tbsp. black rice vinegar (Chinkiang)
- 1 tsp. of sugar (optional)
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce (See Note 3)
- salt and pepper to taste (I did not add)
- vegetable oil
- dash of sesame oil to finish
- green onions, chopped to garnish
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Then julienne the potatoes so they are all just about the same size. Place the potatoes in a (lightly salted – optional) bowl. Wash 3 times to remove the excess starch. Keep potatoes in a bowl covered with water until you are ready to cook.
Add 3 tbsp. (2 would probably be enough) of oil to the wok and heat over medium heat. Add the Sichuan pepper and fry briefly. Add the minced ginger and dried chilli pepper and fry until fragrant; then add the minced garlic and stir fry another minute.
Drain the julienned potatoes and dry them thoroughly between paper towels. Add them to the wok; toss well to mix all ingredients. Add the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked enough to stay crunchy, but long enough for the rawness to cook out. I did a taste test just like I do when I cook pasta!
Turn off the heat and finish with a dash of sesame oil and green onions.
Note 1: Scoville heat unit: 50,000 – 75,000 They are about 2-inches long, red and resemble cayenne
Note 2: Sichuan peppercorns are native to the Sichuan province of China and is not related to black pepper which is native to India. Very aromatic and flavorful but not hot. It has a “numbing property” known in China as “ma” that produces a tingling sensation in the mouth.
Note 3: Light soy sauce in Chinese cooking does not mean low sodium as it is quite salty. It is a thin, reddish brown liquid made from fermented soybeans and wheat and is the most common cooking sauce in Chinese cuisine.
Note 4: The recipe as written above is quite hot and spicy but delicious! Your lips will “tingle”. To tone down the heat use only 1/2 tsp. Sichuan pepper. Also, cut off the top of each pepper and shake out the seeds – stir fry them whole versus in small pieces.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Judi, this is one of my favorite Sichuan dishes. Sichuan peppercorn is a wonderful ingredient for spicy foods and a staple in our pantry. Did you know that they were banned in the US from 1968 to 2005, I must admit, I unknowingly brought some back from my travels in China during that period. Have you tried la zi ji (Chongqing chicken) it’s spicy numbing and very tasty? Thanks for a great post.
Thanks Ron – it’s going to be one of my favorites too! I read they were banned for some time because of a bacterial disease which is very contagious. I guess it only affects citrus now… Would you believe that is one of the recipes in my Sichuan packet? Deep fried chicken thighs (I would have to sub breasts) with peanuts – sounds like another winner! Thanks for the suggestion Ron. Bethany sent me the “real Sichuan peppercorns”. They are definitely more “numbing” than the ones I have!
Such a great gift! The potatoes sound so good. I’ve never cooked them this way. Will need to start looking for the ingredients! 🙂
She is very thoughtful Ronit! As the Chinese say there is definitely some “ma” going on. If the spices don’t suit you use what you like as it is a great way to cook potatoes and fast. They are good cold too 🙂
I liked a lot the variety of ingredients you have chosen to create wonderful flavor to this wonderful potato snack.
Thank you – so did I Deeksha. There’s a lot of great flavor and heat and a numbing (but not hot) effect of the sichuan peppercorns.
That’s totally my kind of flavour. I will definitely try to find if we get sichuan peppercorn here also. Thanks Judi for introducing this new ingredient ☺️
What a thoughtful gift and one you will continue to enjoy. This is the second time I have seen a recipe for potatoes prepared this way. I remember that I thought potatoes were an ingredient I never would have associated with China.
Yes, it was Karen and I always appreciate “cooking gifts”. According to my sister and niece this is a popular way to serve potatoes in China. A little crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside – just a few minutes to stir-fry and you have a delicious side.
Aunt Juju, this recipe looks like it turned out great! The photos look just like the potato dish I often had in China. Hopefully next time I come to Michigan I can try it! Or maybe when you come down to DC. Glad you are making use of the recipes and ingredients from China. These photos are making me want to go back all over again!!
Thanks Bethany – the potatoes were super good and cooked perfectly. It was hard to stop eating them!I have a few other recipes I want to try that don’t have all the sauce ingredients or the “ma” of the peppercorns. I wish I could have taken these classes with you. Hope to come your way next month – they are still talking about the “s” word (snow) 🙂
Yummy stuff for sure 😋 🔥
They sure were Jyo – This is my kind of spice and what a unique, but simple method of cooking potatoes.
That is the nicest gift ever! How thoughtful. These potatoes are SO intriguing!!! Great ingredients.
Thanks Mimi – these potatoes are so flavorful with lots of umami! I love the quick cooking method… Cooking gifts are always fun to receive and I do have a thoughtful niece 🙂 She has the same recipes so we can compare “notes”, except she is a vegetarian.
Judi, these potatoes look so good. And i like your detailed instructions- I could almost smell that aroma! What a treat it is to get these authentic recipes from your niece. Thank you for sharing it with us. Great photos!
Thanks so much Sandhya! These potatoes are addictive and so easy to make. I will be serving these again soon, I’m sure. I asked my niece about cookbooks written in English and she did not have much luck. These recipes from a cooking school are much better and very personal 🙂
I agree about the recipes from a cooking school are much better.I want to make those potatoes too, Judi. I was drooling looking at your pics.Thanks for sharing the recipe.