Sichuan Salt Food

SICHUAN SALT

Steps:

• Coarsely grind 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes in a spice mill or mortar and pestle (leave some larger pieces of spice). Oh, and make extra to sprinkle on everything from chicken wings to slabs of eggplant.

ROASTED SICHUAN PEPPER-SALT

Steps:

• Mix together the peppercorns and the salt in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until the mixture is fragrant and smoking and the salt begins to turn golden, five to eight minutes. Be very careful not to let the mixture burn.
• Remove from the heat and let cool. Then grind the pepper-salt until fine and sieve to remove any large pieces. Store in an airtight container.

SICHUAN-SPICED DIPPING SALT

Steps:

• Combine 2 tablespoons each of Sichuan peppercorns, cumin seeds, and kosher salt in a small skillet over medium heat. Heat, stirring often, until spices are toasted and very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool. Finely grind mixture in a spice mill or in a mortar with a pestle.

SICHUAN STYLE SALT BAKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken under cool water, cut away any fat around the cavity opening, and place the chicken in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, ginger, and green onions.
• Brush the outside of the chicken with the wine mixture and place the remaining contents of the small bowl in the chicken cavity. Put the chicken in a cool place and let marinate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the salt evenly in a Dutch oven that is slightly larger that the chicken and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the salt from the oven but leave the oven on.
• Place the chicken on a dry surface and rub the spice mixture all over the chicken. Wrap the chicken in cheesecloth.
• Carefully pour all but 1 inch of the salt (about 6 cups) into a heatproof bowl. Set the chicken in the pot, breast up, and cover completely with the reserved hot salt. Make sure the chicken is completely covered with a layer of salt. Bake covered for 1 hour.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes. While chicken is resting, make the sauces. When chicken is done resting, discard the salt, unwrap and use a cleaver to chop the chicken into chopstick-friendly pieces. Serve with dipping sauces.
• Chili Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the water with the chili sauce, vinegar and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Let stand for at least 15 minutes and stir before serving.
• Garlic Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Let stand for at least 15 minutes and stir before serving.
• Ginger Sauce: Put the ginger in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the oil in a small saucepan until it sends up a wisp of smoke, then pour it over the ginger and stir. Stir in the salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SZECHUAN PEPPERED CALAMARI (SALT AND PEPPER SQUID)

Steps:

• If you got whole squid, clean them first: gently pull the head and tentacles away from the body, then pull out the backbone (quill, aka cuttlebone) from inside the body and discard it and the intestines and ink sac; cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes and discard head; remove membrane/skin from body.
• (How you cut up the squid at this point is a matter of preference, but here's how I like it.).
• Cut the larger tentacles away from the smaller ones, so that you get some single tentacles in the mix.
• Pull or cut the wings away from the body.
• Cut the body down the center so that you can open the two sides up flat, then make strips that are between 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide and about 1 to 1 1/2 inch long; you can also cut the body into 1/4-inch wide tubes, if you like.
• Rinse all the cut pieces, tentacles, and wings well in a sieve, and let drain.
• In a dry skillet, roast the peppercorns over medium high heat until they begin to smoke; remove from heat, let cool, then use a mortar and pestle or other grinder (I use a coffee grinder) to make into a fine powder.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, and powdered peppercorns.
• Add the drained squid pieces, and toss or stir well with your hand to coat them well, shaking off excess.
• Heat oil in a hot wok or deep heavy pan until very hot (the surface should seem to simmer slightly - you can test it with a single piece to see if it's not enough), then deep fry the squid in batches for 1 to 2 minutes until tender and beginning to turn golden. Do not overcook or your cooked squid will turn rubbery -- blech.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.
• Serve immediately with dipping sauce - we like garlic chile sauce, but cocktail sauce or aioli is nice, too.