Sichuan Chicken — The Warmth You Cook Into Someone You Love

Angela's pregnancy is progressing. Five months now, the belly visible, the pregnancy entering the phase where strangers on the street feel entitled to comment on the size and shape of a woman's body, which Angela handles with the Santos directness that does not suffer unsolicited opinions gladly. A woman at the grocery store said, "Oh, you're carrying high — must be a boy!" Angela said, "I'm carrying a baby. That's all anyone needs to know." The Santos women do not invite commentary on their bodies. The Santos women invite commentary on their food. The distinction is clear.

Lourdes is managing two pregnancies now — Carmen's postpartum (from Anchorage, via phone, with detailed dietary instructions that Carmen receives with the patience of a new mother who has learned that arguing with her mother-in-law about food is a losing proposition) and Angela's ongoing (in person, with weekly cooking sessions and the particular Santos pregnancy care that involves specific dishes for specific trimesters and the absolute conviction that the baby can taste what the mother eats, which is approximately true and is treated by Lourdes as scientific fact).

I made tinola for Angela — the gentle ginger chicken soup that Lourdes prescribes for the second trimester because the ginger "warms the womb." The science is debatable. The soup is delicious. Angela ate two bowls and the eating was meditative, the slow consumption of a woman who is building a human and needs fuel and finds the fuel in a bowl of soup her sister made from their mother's recipe in their grandmother's tradition. The chain of women feeding women. The chain that never breaks.

Tinola is the Santos prescription — Lola’s remedy, Mama’s ritual — but when I’m cooking for Angela and my pantry runs the direction of bold heat rather than gentle broth, I reach for this Sichuan Chicken, because the ginger is just as present and the intention is identical: warmth, fuel, and the particular tenderness of making something fiery and fragrant for someone you are determined to nourish. The chain of women feeding women runs through every aromatic dish we make, not just the ones passed down by name.

Sichuan Chicken

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (about a 1-inch knob)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and coarsely ground
• 8–12 dried red chilies (adjust to heat preference), seeds shaken out
• 2 teaspoons chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 green onions, sliced on the bias, white and green parts separated
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for serving
• Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the rice wine, and cornstarch. Toss well to coat and let sit for at least 15 minutes at room temperature while you prep the remaining ingredients.
2. Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Set aside.
3. Sear the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until a golden crust forms on the bottom. Stir and continue cooking another 2–3 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
4. Build the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the dried chilies and ground Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and the chilies deepen in color. Add the white parts of the green onions, ginger, and garlic and cook another 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
5. Finish with sauce. Add the chili bean paste and stir to combine with the aromatics, about 30 seconds. Return the chicken to the pan and pour the prepared sauce over everything. Toss over high heat for 1–2 minutes until the chicken is glossy and evenly coated.
6. Serve. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the green parts of the green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately over steamed white rice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 780mg