Kou Shui Chicken (口水鸡)

口水鸡

Kou Shui Chicken (口水鸡) — a Sichuan Chinese recipe made with bone-in chicken thighs, ready in about 45 minutes. Step-by-step instructions with photos.

Ingredients

• bone-in chicken thighs (or whole legs)
• fresh ginger, sliced
• scallions, knotted
• Shaoxing wine
• chili oil (红油, with sediment)
• Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
• toasted sesame oil
• light soy sauce
• Chinkiang (black) vinegar
• garlic cloves, minced
• sugar
• salt (for poaching)
• roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
• scallions, finely sliced (garnish)

Instructions

1. Prepare the poaching liquid. Fill a pot large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer with about 1.5 L water. Add ginger slices, knotted scallions, Shaoxing wine, and 1 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
2. Lower the chicken legs into the simmering liquid. Cover and poach for 12–15 minutes (for bone-in thighs) or 10–12 minutes (for boneless). Do not boil aggressively — a vigorous boil will tighten the meat and make it dry.
3. Immediately transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl of ice water. Submerge completely and leave for at least 10 minutes — this shocks the skin into contracting, creating the signature gelatinous, bouncy texture. Leave until completely cool.
4. Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together chili oil (with sediment), toasted ground Sichuan peppercorn, sesame oil, light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, minced garlic, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. The sauce should be a deep red-orange, glossy, with a visible layer of chili oil on top.
5. Remove chicken from ice water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2-inch chunks) on a cutting board — the bone can stay in for easier handling. Arrange on a serving platter and generously ladle the chili-sesame sauce over the top, ensuring every piece is coated. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and sliced scallions. Serve immediately or chill for up to 2 hours for deeper flavor.