Big Plate Chicken (Chinese Da Pan Ji) with Noodles

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons shaoxing wine

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons oil

4 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

5 bay leaves

6 slices fresh ginger

5 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

6 -10 whole dried red chilies (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces)

1 carrot (thinly sliced)

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons shaoxing wine

3 - 5 cups water (start with 3 cups and add more as needed)

8 oz. dried noodle of your choice (preferably a thicker-style flat noodle)

1 red bell pepper (cut into chunks)

1 green bell pepper (cut into chunks)

Salt to taste

1 scallion (sliced)

Directions

Start by marinating the chicken. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a bowl with the marinade ingredients. Set aside for 20 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

When you're ready to cook, heat the oil in a wok over low heat. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, chilies, and sugar. Cook this mixture for 2 minutes, making sure they don’t burn. Add the chicken and turn up the heat. Stir-fry until the chicken is seared.

Add the potatoes and carrots and stir-fry for a minute. Then add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the wok and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

While the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Follow the package instructions to cook the noodles. Drain.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, by now, there should be at least 1 1 1/2 cups of liquid in the wok so add more water if needed.To your wok, stir in the bell peppers. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste the dish and season with salt to taste. Now transfer the noodles to a large plate, and cover with your chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately!

Note: If you want more sauce, add a little more water to the wok. If the sauce is too thin, just turn up the heat to reduce and thicken the sauce.

Nutrition

• Calories: 564 kcal
• Total Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 107 mg
• Sodium: 960 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 64 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9 g
• Total Sugars: 10 g
• Protein: 36 g