Article 78: Analysis of Famous Sichuan Dishes (Dishes 41-45): Stir-fried Squid Strips, Vinegar-braised Cuttlefish Flowers, Chrysanthemum Abalone, Taibai Chicken, Chicken and Shark Fin Soup

41. Stir-fried shredded squid

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 100g dried squid. Side ingredients: 100g lean and fatty pork, 100g mung bean sprouts. Seasonings: 1g Sichuan salt, 10g soy sauce, 10g Shaoxing wine, 1g MSG, 10g sesame oil, 75g mixed oil.

Preparation: (1) Select large, thin dried squid, remove the bones, head and tail, and cut into thin strips (if the squid is too hard, you can roast it over a low flame to soften it and make it easier to cut into strips), wash it with warm water (do not soak it for too long), and squeeze out the water.

Cut the pork into strips 6cm long and 0.3cm thick.

Remove the roots and buds from the mung bean sprouts.

(2) Place a wok over medium heat, add oil and heat to 60% heat, add squid shreds and stir-fry briefly, then add Shaoxing wine and stir-fry again, then add shredded meat and stir-fry together, then add bean sprouts and stir-fry evenly, finally add Sichuan salt and soy sauce, stir-fry until fragrant, add MSG, and drizzle with sesame oil to finish.

Quality standards: Golden in color, soft and chewy, with a long-lasting dry aroma.

Key to the preparation: This dish uses dried squid as its main ingredient and employs a "dry-frying" method, which crisps up the dried squid and softens it to create a chewy texture, resulting in a unique flavor.

The key to this recipe is controlling the heat. The oil temperature should always be kept at 50-60% of its maximum. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds before adding Shaoxing wine, stir-fry for about 20 seconds after adding Shaoxing wine, then add shredded meat and bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute before serving.

42. Stir-fried Cuttlefish Flowers with Vinegar

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 200g dried cuttlefish. Side ingredient: 10 pea shoots. Seasonings: 10g knotted scallions, 25g shallots, 20g ginger slices, 10g garlic slices, 50g pickled red chili peppers, 4g Sichuan salt, 10g soy sauce, 25g vinegar, 10g sugar, 15g Shaoxing wine, 2g MSG, 50g cornstarch, 10g lime, 35g soda ash, 750g chicken broth, 1000g rendered pork fat (approximately 75g used).

Preparation method: (1) Soak dried cuttlefish in cold water until soft, add half of the alkali and lime, add 1000g of hot water and stir well. After cooling and settling, drain the cold alkali water, add hot water again, add the other half of the lime and soda ash and stir well. Continue to soak for about 10 hours, take out the cuttlefish and drain the alkali water, and rinse repeatedly with clean water to remove the alkali taste.

Then, on the bony side of the cuttlefish, make straight cuts 0.3cm apart and 4/5 the thickness of the cuttlefish meat, followed by diagonal cuts. After making all the cuts, cut the cuttlefish into diamond-shaped pieces 4cm wide.

Remove the stems and seeds from the pickled chilies and chop them finely with a knife.

Cut 10g of ginger into small pieces, and crush the rest of the ginger for later use.

(2) Place a wok over a fire, add water and bring to a boil. Add cuttlefish, Shaoxing wine, Sichuan salt (2g), ginger slices and scallion knots. Cook until the cuttlefish curls up and turns into flowers. Remove the cuttlefish and feed it with chicken broth (700g).

(3) Place a wok over high heat, add lard and heat until it reaches 80% of its maximum temperature, then add the squid flowers and stir-fry briefly before removing them.

Leave 25g of oil in the wok, stir-fry the pickled chili peppers until fragrant and colored, add ginger and garlic slices, add chicken broth, Sichuan salt, soy sauce, and sugar, bring to a boil, add scallions, thicken with cornstarch slurry, add MSG, vinegar, squid flowers, and bean sprouts, stir-fry evenly, and serve.

Quality standards: brownish-red in color, soft in texture, salty, savory and slightly spicy in taste, and rich in vinegar aroma.

Key points for operation: Well-soaked cuttlefish has a high water content, and the longer it is heated, the greater its shrinkage and the tougher its texture. Therefore, when making this dish, you must pay attention to the heat and speed. When blanching, put the cuttlefish into boiling water and remove it as soon as it curls up. When frying, the lard used should be white, and the pot should be clean and smooth. When the oil temperature reaches 80% heat, put the cuttlefish flowers in and pour them out immediately. This is a continuous action. The sauce for this dish is made using a thickening method, so the consistency should be slightly higher.

43. Chrysanthemum Abalone

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 200g canned abalone. Side ingredients: 250g chicken broth, 3 eggs, 20g fresh tomato slices, 500g fresh bok choy, 30g chopped cooked lean ham. Seasonings: 2g white pepper, 3g Sichuan salt, 20g Shaoxing wine, 50g egg white paste, 750g chicken broth, 10g chicken fat, 75g lard.

Preparation method: (1) Slice the abalone into 12 thin slices, and then trim each slice into a round slice with a diameter of 3.5cm.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add Sichuan salt (0.5g), whisk, steam until it becomes a thick cake, remove and let cool, then cut into 120 thin strips, each 6.7cm long.

(2) Take 12 small dishes, spread a thin layer of lard on each dish, place a slice of abalone on it, spread egg white paste on it, then spread a layer of chicken broth on it and smooth it out. Embed 10 thin strips of cake around the small dish as petals, and place a little egg yolk or ham in the center as the flower stamen. Steam over low heat for about 8 minutes to set the shape and then take it out.

(3) Place the wok over high heat, add lard and heat to 50% heat, add the bok choy and stir-fry until just cooked, add chicken oil, Shaoxing wine, pepper powder, Sichuan salt and MSG and cook until flavorful, remove the bok choy and place it on the bottom of a plate; take out the abalone from the steamer and place it on top of the bok choy.

Garnish the dish with tomato slices; thicken the chicken broth in the pot with cornstarch, drizzle with chicken fat and stir well, then pour over the dish.

Quality standards: The product should be aesthetically pleasing, have a delicate texture, vibrant color, and a bright sauce.

Key points for operation: This dish belongs to the category of decorative dishes (floral dishes). First, we must pay attention to the beautiful and uniform shape. Second, we must pay attention to the delicate and fresh taste. Third, we must pay attention to cleanliness and neatness from preparation to plating.

Dishes with this type of shaved clay shape should be steamed over low heat to prevent them from being damaged by high heat.

The sauce used in this dish is made with rice water, which requires to be clean and transparent. When making the sauce, you should first skim off any foam. When pouring in the starch slurry, do not let the soup boil. Instead, remove the pot from the heat and stir to allow the starch to gelatinize slowly. Do not add any oil. Only in this way can the sauce be clear.

44. Taibai Chicken

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 500g young chicken legs. Seasonings: 10g dried chili peppers, 50g pickled red chili peppers, 6g Sichuan salt, 3g Sichuan peppercorns, 20g ginger, 1g MSG, 20g fermented glutinous rice juice, 20g scallions, 5g white sugar, 20g Shaoxing wine, 5g caramel coloring, 1g white pepper powder, 500g meat broth, 10g sesame oil, 1000g rendered pork fat (approximately 100g used).

Preparation: (1) Chop the young rooster leg meat into 4cm square pieces, remove the stems and seeds from the pickled chili peppers and dried chili peppers, cut them into long sections, crush the ginger pieces, and tie the scallions into knots.

(2) Place a wok over high heat, add lard and heat to 60% heat, add chicken pieces and fry briefly, then remove and set aside.

(3) Leave 50g of oil in the wok and heat it to 40% heat. Add dried chili peppers and stir-fry briefly. Then add pickled chili peppers and stir-fry until the oil turns slightly red. Add ginger and scallions and stir-fry until fragrant. Add meat broth, chicken pieces, Sichuan salt, Shaoxing wine, white sugar, fermented rice wine, and caramel coloring. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and transfer to low heat. Add the peppercorns wrapped in gauze and cook together until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender. Remove the scallions, ginger, pickled chili peppers, dried chili peppers, and peppercorn packet. Add pepper powder and MSG and reduce the sauce over medium heat until glossy. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

Quality standards: The finished dish should have a bright red color, a tender texture, a savory and slightly spicy flavor, and a thick sauce that coats the chicken pieces.

Key to the operation: This dish is prepared using a "roasting" method, where the chicken is first deep-fried in oil.

The goal is to brown the chicken pieces, not to cook them through. Therefore, the oil temperature should be higher, and the chicken pieces should be fried twice. After the first fry, remove the chicken pieces as soon as the oil temperature drops, and then add them back in when the oil temperature rises again. Remove them as soon as they brown. The frying time should be about 4 to 5 minutes, not too long, to prevent the chicken from drying out and becoming tough.

45. Chicken Soup with Shark Fin

Ingredients: Main ingredients: 75g soaked shark fin, 125g chicken breast, 4 egg whites, 10g cooked ham, 450g chicken broth. Seasonings: 150g lard, 20g cornstarch, 5g each of scallions and ginger, appropriate amounts of salt, cooking wine, pepper, and MSG.

Preparation: (1) Put the processed chicken paste into a large bowl, add salt, MSG, pepper, cooking wine and cornstarch and stir well, then add egg white and stir into chicken paste.

(2) Put water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Blanch the soaked shark fin in the water and then remove it.

(3) Put cooked lard in a pot and heat it to 180°C. Add chicken paste and stir-fry until it becomes porridge. Pour half of it into a plate. Add the blanched shark fin to the other half and stir-fry until well mixed. Place it on top of the plate and sprinkle with diced ham.

Quality standards: The chicken mousse is soft, tender, and white; the shark fin is soft, salty, and fresh; the red and white colors complement each other, and the appearance is beautiful.

Key to the operation: The key to making this dish is preparing the chicken paste and frying the chicken paste.

First, the minced chicken must be fine and white (the cutting board must be clean). When adding various seasonings and egg whites, stir in one direction until it becomes a thin porridge-like consistency. When frying the minced chicken paste, the oil temperature should not be lower than 180℃ (60% heat), but it should not be too high either. After putting it into the pan, use a ladle to stir constantly to prevent it from clumping, until it becomes a thick porridge-like consistency.