Suyang Crispy Chicken

Suyang Crispy Chicken

　　Suyang Crispy Chicken

　　During the 18th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign, in the height of summer, the emperor led a grand imperial fleet down the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou. The procession was magnificent and imposing. Along the route, local governments warmly welcomed the imperial entourage. When the fleet arrived at the southern dock of Luomajie Street in Suyang, Emperor Qianlong, seated at the bow of the boat, looked northward and saw the street bustling with traffic, flanked by black-tiled, white-walled buildings and fluttering wine banners—a true earthly paradise. He then ordered the boat to dock. Officials and gentry from the county hurried to greet the emperor on foot and extended a lavish welcome. By then, Emperor Qianlong, who had long grown tired of delicacies like dragon liver and phoenix marrow, was enraged at the sight of the table full of rare birds and choice meats. “As the Son of Heaven,” he said, “I’ve grown weary of such sumptuous fare.” Just then, a local gentry member recalled that a rustic chef from the countryside often created innovative home-style dishes. He sent for this local cook and asked him to prepare a dish that was neither purely meat nor vegetable, rich but not greasy, crispy yet tender, with an outer layer resembling fried red meat and an inner part fluffy and fragrant—something akin to a flour cake, which, when cooked and added to a stew, would not fall apart or melt. The chef, surnamed Liu, pondered for a moment before quickly coming up with an idea. He minced premium lean pork and peeled yam into a paste, added flour, salt, scallions, ginger, and egg whites, then mixed them well. He shaped the mixture into palm-sized patties, deep-fried them in hot oil until golden, then removed them. They resembled large iron pancakes. Once cooled, he sliced them into small parallelograms and braised them with spinach. Before the spinach was fully cooked, he swiftly transferred the dish into bowls. Upon seeing the red-and-green dish in the bowl, Emperor Qianlong’s appetite was instantly stirred. After one bite of the “crispy chicken,” he praised it highly. When asked the name of the dish, the rustic chef promptly replied, “Crispy Chicken.”

　　Source: Office of the People's Government of Suyang County