This is our take on ‘kou shui ji’ (口水鸡), or as it’s more commonly known in the west: ‘mouth-watering chicken’. In sticking with our brand, this version is fully vegan; using marinated and compressed sheets of beancurd skin to emulate the steamed chicken texture.
Whilst two recipes in one, this dressing is great in a ton of cold applications and the ‘chicken’ can be used to ‘veganise’ a bunch of your favourite classics.
INGREDIENTS:
Dressing:
• 4 tbsp gulp sichuan chilli oil
• 1 tbsp sichuan peppercorn oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp chinkiang black rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp chinese light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1⁄2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1⁄2 tsp msg (or sub with mushroom powder/seasoning) • 1⁄4 tsp fine sea salt
Beancurd ‘Chicken’:
• 250g beancurd skin sheets (semi-dried)
• 4 tbsp shallot oil
• 2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsp chinese dark soy sauce
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp cornflour (combined with 2 tbsp of water)
• 1 tbsp msg (or sub with mushroom powder/seasoning) • 1 tsp fine sea salt
To serve:
• coriander leaf.
• sesame seeds and ‘crunchy stuff’ of choice.
METHOD:
Combine the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. Store in the fridge until ready to use. If storing for longer than a few hours, place in an airtight container.
For the ‘chicken’, soak the sheets of beancurd in plenty of freshly boiled water, and allow to hydrate for 1 hour. After hydrating, drain the pieces well and squeeze out any excess water. Slice or tear the beancurd skin in to smaller ribbons that are approximately 1 to 2 inches in width. Add the ribbons in to a large mixing bowl along with the remaining ingredients.
To form the ‘chicken’, place the seasoned beancurd on to a lightly dampened piece of baking/parchment paper. Using the paper to form the shape, roll the beancurd in to a log approximately 20 cm in length. Once you have formed the beancurd log, wrap a layer of foil tightly around the outside of the paper, twisting the ends to make sure it holds its shape.
Setup a steamer of choice and steam for approximately 1 hour. After an hour, place the log on to a metal tray and cool for 5 minutes. Using a heavy weight (I use a tray with a 10-inch cast iron skillet inside), press down on the log, leaving the weight on top whilst it cools for an hour. After the hour, you should notice the log has been flattened to roughly an inch and is cool to touch. It is ready to be sliced and served, however I advise placing in the fridge to firm up further before serving.
When ready to serve, slice the beancurd ‘chicken’ in to cm slices and arrange on a shallow plate. Do not fear if the pieces break up in the process as it creates even more surface to soak up that sauce. Generously pour over the dressing and garnish with coriander and your favourite “crunchy bits”.