Zhong Mazi's Plain-Boiled Chicken

Zhong Mazi's Plain-Boiled Chicken

　　Zhong Mazi's Plain-Boiled Chicken

　　First, you need to select a free-range rooster weighing around 3 jin (1.5 kg). After slitting its throat, plucking the feathers, gutting, and cleaning it, place it in a large pot of cold water, bring it to a boil, cook it through, then remove and let it cool naturally. There are 0 things to note here: First, you need a big pot—make sure the whole chicken is fully submerged in cold water. Only this way can every part of the chicken cook evenly, achieving consistent doneness. If you don’t have a big pot, you’ll have to work harder—turn the chicken over roughly every 5 minutes while it’s cooking. Second, after about 15 minutes of boiling, use a clean toothpick to poke the thigh. If no blood seeps out, the chicken is fully cooked. Take it out immediately to cool; otherwise, you’ll miss out on its tender juiciness. Third, set aside a bowl of the chicken broth you just used—it’ll come in handy later.

　　Once the chicken has cooled completely, chop it into 28 pieces and place them in a large bowl. The most crucial part begins here—this is where many home cooks stumble. Now, I’ll share with you the Xu family’s traditional recipe, passed down from woman to woman for 180 years and never revealed outside the family. I’m giving you the full recipe without holding back, hoping you can master its secrets.

　　First, you’ll need a bowl of freshly made chili oil. Here’s how: place chili powder in a bowl, then pour in cooled (but still hot) vegetable oil and drizzle it over the chili powder. The oil must be cooled slightly first, or it will scorch the chili. Also, make sure to use vegetable oil—the amount should be generous, as it’s the key seasoning. Salad oil is a big no-no, or you’ll end up with a red liquid that looks pretty but lacks any real flavor. Pour the chili oil over the chicken pieces—just the oil, mind you. Leave the chili powder in the bowl.

　　Next, add a few small spoons of Sichuan peppercorn powder. Adjust to your taste—feel free to add more if you love numbing spiciness. Then, add an appropriate amount of salt, but be mindful of the saltiness. We don’t recommend using regular soy sauce here, as it can ruin the dish’s color and flavor. However, a small amount of seafood soy sauce is fine, as its flavor is richer and less noticeable when eaten. Speaking of which, we’ve arrived at a key aspect of Chinese cooking: often, the exact amount of seasonings relies entirely on experience. Practice makes perfect—this is something you can only learn through hands-on trial and error, as it can’t be precisely measured down to the gram. Don’t lose heart, though. After 10 years in the kitchen, you’ll get the hang of it—haha.

　　Then, add about 10 grams (do you have a scale? Haha) of sugar and a pinch of MSG. Use chopsticks to mix all the ingredients in the bowl thoroughly for the first time. Let it rest for five minutes to relax before moving on to the next step. Remember that bowl of broth you set aside earlier while boiling the chicken? Now’s its time to shine. Pour the broth over the chicken pieces and mix again. Adding the broth helps the chicken soak up the flavors, allowing the seasonings to penetrate deeply. It also enhances the dish’s visual appeal. One thing to note: don’t add the broth while it’s still hot, or you’ll ruin everything.

　　You might wonder if you should add sesame oil. Personally, I think it’s completely unnecessary—even counterproductive. The chicken’s unique natural aroma doesn’t need any modification or enhancement.

　　Mix the chicken pieces several more times, ensuring the seasonings evenly coat every piece. If you see about two-thirds of each piece submerged in the seasonings, that’s the ideal level. Congratulations—you’ve nailed it�

　　『Mission accomplished. Pour yourself a glass of juice, sit back on the sofa, and relax as you wait to enjoy the delicious chicken you just made. Generally, it’s best to prepare the plain-boiled chicken 30–40 minutes before serving to let the flavors fully develop. This makes it ten times better than eating it right after cooking.