Yizheng Sparrow Breast Dish

Yizheng Sparrow Breast Dish

The sparrow breast dish from Yizheng, Jiangsu Province, has been famous in the capital since ancient times and is hailed as a delicacy. During the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong and Jiaqing eras, jar-packed sparrow breasts from Zhenzhou (the ancient name of Yizheng) were sold in markets.

　　The sparrow breast dish from Yizheng selects its ingredients rigorously, using mainly tender and flavorful sparrow breasts. Here, we introduce several sparrow breast dishes again.

　　Sautéed Sparrow Breast

　　Main ingredient: 300g sparrow breast meat.

　　Side ingredients: 100g net green bell pepper.

　　Seasonings: 1 egg white, Shaoxing wine, refined salt, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chopped scallions and ginger, mashed garlic, water starch, sesame oil, lard, and others as needed.

　　Preparation method:

　　1. Wash the sparrow breast meat, drain the water, gently score each piece lightly with a knife, place in a bowl, and mix with egg white, refined salt, and water starch. Cut the green bell pepper into small diamond-shaped pieces.

　　2. Heat a wok over a fire, add lard, and heat until it reaches 40% heat. Add the sparrow breast meat, stir with an iron spoon to separate the pieces. When they turn white, drain the oil. Leave the wok on high heat, keep a little oil, add chopped scallions, ginger, and mashed garlic to fry until fragrant. Add the green bell pepper and stir-fry, then add Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, thicken with wet starch, pour in the sparrow breast meat, drizzle with vinegar and sesame oil, stir a few times, and serve on a plate.

　　Characteristics of this dish: The breast meat is delicate, tender, and richly sweet and sour — an excellent pairing with drinks.

　　Deep-fried Sparrow Breast Skewers

　　Main ingredient: 100 sparrow breasts, approximately 750g.

　　Side ingredients: 4 eggs, 250g breadcrumbs, a small amount of cilantro leaves.

　　Seasonings: 1 can tomato ketchup, 1 can sweet bean paste, soy sauce, salt, MSG, sugar, Shaoxing wine, ginger, scallions, pepper, lard, and others as needed.

　　Preparation method:

　　1. First, score the sparrow breast meat, marinate with salt, Shaoxing wine, scallions, ginger, MSG, and pepper for 10 minutes. Coat with a whole egg batter, roll each piece in breadcrumbs, and thread onto skewers using food skewers — 10 pieces per skewer. Set aside.

　　2. Mix the sweet bean paste with sugar, water, MSG, sesame oil, and vinegar to make a thin sauce. Place in a small dish. Mix the tomato ketchup with sugar and sesame oil to make another thin sauce. Place in a small dish.

　　3. Heat the wok over a fire, pour in lard, and heat until it reaches 60% heat. Add the sparrow breast skewers and deep-fry until golden brown. Remove, drain the oil, and arrange them in a fan shape on a large plate. Garnish with cilantro leaves in the center and serve with the two dipping sauces.

　　Characteristics of this dish: Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, dry and fragrant, served with dipping sauces — endlessly delicious.

　　Chestnut Braised Sparrow Breast

　　Main ingredient: 500g sparrow meat.

　　Side ingredient: 300g chestnuts.

　　Seasonings: Soy sauce, salt, sugar, MSG, garlic, chopped ginger, scallion segments, Shaoxing wine, lard, and others as needed.

　　Preparation method:

　　1. First, make a cross-shaped cut on the skin of each chestnut. Then deep-fry in hot oil until cooked through, remove when the skin curls up, peel, and steam until soft. Set aside.

　　2. Heat and grease the wok, pour in oil, and when the oil is hot, add the sparrow breast meat. Deep-fry until golden brown, remove, and drain the oil. Leave a little oil in the wok, add sliced ginger and scallion segments to fry until fragrant. Pour in the broth, add soy sauce, salt, Shaoxing wine, and sugar. Put in the fried sparrow breast meat. When it boils, skim off the foam, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender. Add the steamed chestnuts, simmer briefly over low heat, adjust the flavor, add chopped garlic, and boil over high heat to thicken the sauce. Add lard, drizzle with a little vinegar, and serve on a plate.

　　Characteristics of this dish: The sparrow breast meat is richly saucy and flavorful, complemented by the aroma of chestnuts. Highly nutritious with a unique taste.