The real love affair (sorry, James) started when I finally got a clue and figured out how to really enjoy Sichuan peppercorns:

1. Dry-roast the peppercorns until they are pungent in a wok
2. Grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder at the “fine” setting
3. Pour through a sieve into an airtight container (to filter out the stems and husks)
4. Sprinkle that sh–um, I mean stuff –on everything!

The ground, roasted Sichuan peppercorns stay crisp and fresh in flavor and scent for a month; I dry-roasted ½ cup a few weeks ago and I’ve still got a few tablespoons left over, so I would suggest roasting much less if you don’t favor Chinese or Sichuan food as much as I do (2-3x a week). But I can assure you it’s totally worth it; you won’t experience the richness of flavor that Sichuan peppercorn/prickly ash is famous for unless you roast it first. At first, I thought it was the inferiority of the brand I was using… turns out that most any brand regardless of price will taste heavenly if you roast it first. (But I still believe spending a little extra on higher-quality peppercorns will only help!)

With that said, I’ve been trying different recipes of Kung Pao chicken for a while now–always looking for something a little more authentic, a little more spicy. I finally found a few Sichuan-based recipes recently, and have created something based on my preferences that I wanted to share! It’s definitely on the spicier side, so feel free to use fewer chili peppers than the recipe calls for. The bell pepper and diced onions are definitely more American-style Kung Pao than the traditional recipe (which simply calls for diced chicken and scallions), but I liked the sweetness that the vegetables lent to the savory spiciness of the dish.

As I mentioned earlier, I literally do sprinkle the ground Sichuan peppercorn on anything that may conceivably taste good with it, and this recipe is no exception. The numbing spice of Sichuan peppercorn and the heated spice of chili peppers have always paired well together, but they are especially delicious with the kung pao sauce here. The aroma of freshly stir-fried kung pao chicken, dotted with the ground peppercorn, is both exotic and mouth-watering. Much, much more appetizing than the standard kung pao you’ll find at American Chinese restaurants, I guarantee it.

My favorite part of this dish has always been the roasted peanuts; I love the mix of both flavor and consistency that peanuts bring when added. I cheated and used dry-roasted, non-salted peanuts for this recipe… but if you have the time and the energy, shelling and frying raw peanuts gives a stronger, smokier flavor to the overall dish that ready-made peanuts can’t quite accomplish. Just be sure to be vigilant and stay at the stove when frying them, as they will burn very quickly if not under constant watch!

If you prefer using chicken thighs over chicken breast (and I almost always do), you can skip the marinating if you’d like. But I would do it anyway, as I think the small amount of xiaoxing or cooking wine used gives the chicken complexity. I know most people prefer how much easier breast is to cut through than thigh… no fat to trim or uneven pieces to measure. In this case, the marinade “velvets” the drier chicken breast meat and makes it more appetizing to eat.

This main dish is on heavy rotation in our kitchen, and I hope it finds its way to yours as well.

Sichuan mapo tofu has a heartier taste, with an emphasis on both the spiciness of the chili flakes and the numbing spiciness of the prickly ash. I might be biased, since I’m in the throes of passion for all things Sichuan right now, but I’m inclined to like this version of mapo tofu better… to each his own, though!

I’ve definitely been influenced by my first recipe, though–a lot of the Sichuan recipes I found online omit the garlic, ginger, or both. I am disinclined to leave out what I view as staple aromatics for Chinese cooking, so I decided to keep them as ingredients and use them in the same way I did for the Japanese recipe. And while recipes varied widely on the amount of ground meat used, I decided to stick to my guns and continue to use 5 oz. It’s just what we prefer at home–if you want to put more emphasis on the tofu, feel free to add less.

The most important part about cooking Sichuan food is making sure your ingredients are specifically from Sichuan or are Sichuan-style. Japanese and Korean stores both carry versions of doubanjiang and dou chi (spicy fermented bean paste and fermented black beans, respectively) but neither will have the same intense flavors that are so characteristic of Sichuan cooking. If you can, drop by your local Chinese market and look for these two ingredients. They are literally two of the cornerstones of Sichuan cooking, and are completely worth the search. (And while you’re at it, make sure you have Sichuan red peppercorns, okay? Remember how I mentioned that roasting and grinding them makes crack powder? Go get ’em!)

If you’re worried about the spice level, you can always dial back the amount of chili flakes you add in the recipe; the amount I’ve listed is moderately mild. If you’re crazy like me and James, you can always add more chili flakes and experience that numbing heat that makes Sichuan so addictive for us!