Da pan ji (big plate chicken)

Ingredients

• 1 piece Bone-in free-range chicken, cut into pieces
• 4 pieces Waxy potatoes
• 2 pieces Green bell pepper
• 1 piece Red bell pepper
• 2 pieces Yellow onions
• 3 pieces Ripe tomatoes
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 piece Fresh ginger
• 3 pieces Star anise
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 8 pieces Whole dried chilies
• 2 tbsp Doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
• 3 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing)
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 sprigs Scallion
• to taste Salt
• 500 ml Water
• 400 g Fresh wide Chinese noodles (such as lamian)

Method

1. Cut the chicken into medium-sized pieces, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks. Seed the bell peppers and cut into large pieces. Cut the onions and tomatoes into wedges. Roughly chop the garlic and ginger. Cut the scallion into batons.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot or wok over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides until nicely golden, about five to seven minutes. Set the chicken aside.
3. In the same pot with the remaining fat, add the star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and whole dried chilies. Sauté for thirty seconds until the spices release their fragrance. Add the chopped ginger, garlic, and chili paste, and sauté for one minute, stirring constantly.
4. Return the chicken to the pot. Deglaze with the Chinese cooking wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well to coat the chicken.
5. Add the tomato and onion wedges. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, about three to four minutes.
6. Pour in enough hot water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Add the potato chunks. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about twenty-five minutes.
7. While the stew is cooking, boil the wide noodles in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions or until tender. Drain and keep warm.
8. Uncover the pot and add the green and red bell peppers. Continue cooking uncovered for five minutes so the sauce reduces and thickens slightly, and the bell peppers remain crisp-tender. Taste and adjust the salt.
9. Arrange the cooked noodles in the bottom of a large, deep serving platter. Pour the chicken, vegetables, and sauce over the top. Scatter with scallion batons and serve immediately, piping hot.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

850 kcal

Protein

83.79 g

Carbohydrate

72.71 g

Fat

22.58 g

Fibre

6.62 g

Calcium

47.47 mg

Iron

3.13 mg

Magnesium

98.29 mg