(Photo Attributed to Author: FotoosVanRobin from Netherlands)

Szechuan Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. Szechuan peppercorns
• salt, to taste
• 1 lb. skinned, boneless chicken, pounded thin and sliced into strips 1-inch wide
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 2 tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
• 10 or 12 Thai Birds-eye chili peppers, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 cup julienned onions
• 1 cup red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped into small chunks
• 1 cup sweet snow pod peas
• any assortment of other veggies you want: broccoli, cauliflower, etc. (optional)
• 1 cup shitake mushrooms, cut into ¼” thick slices (Use fresh if you can get them, but if not, you can use rehydrated dried shitake mushrooms)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dry cooking sherry
• 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek red chile paste
• 1/4 cup scallions (green onions), chopped into ¼” to ½” pieces – use all the white parts, and half the length of the green stalk parts

Directions:

1. Place a small, dry saucepan on the burner and bring it to high heat.
2. Once your saucepan is good and hot, add in the Szechuan peppercorns; wiggle the pan constantly, toasting the peppercorns until they are nice and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
3. Using a spice grinder or blender, grind the peppercorns into a course grainy texture.
4. Mix a liberal amount of salt in with the ground peppercorns and rub the combined seasoning well into all the chicken pieces.
5. Heat a large wok (or large fry pan, if you don’t have a wok) over high heat. Add the oil when the wok is very hot.
6. Next add in the onions, garlic, and ginger, and stir fry for one full minute no longer.
7. Now add in the broccoli, sweet peppers, chili peppers, chicken, shitake mushrooms, sherry, soy sauce, and chile paste.
8. Continue stir frying until the chicken is well cooked and tender, and the veggies are cooked, but not mushy—you want the veggies to be still a little crunchy to the bite—about 4 maybe 5 minutes, certainly not more than 6 minutes. Fork a vegetable out and test bite it after 4 or 5 minutes and see—every burner and every wok has its own speed for cooking on high heat.
9. One minute before you are finished stir frying the chicken and veggies, add the scallions, mix and stir fry them with everything else.

You are done! Place the Szechuan Chicken Vegetable stir fry onto a large serving platter, place on the dining table with all the other entrees, sit with your family, friends, and guests, pick up your chopsticks, and let the Chinese feast begin.