The Biggest Virtual Party in Autumn

Party Cocktails

Welcome to my virtual home. Please put your best party frocks on and bring your vivacious appetite.

I’m inviting you all to my suburban townhouse in Birmingham, UK. Our party starts right here. The sun is shining, the music is pumping, so come with me into the hot and steamy kitchen where you can hear the crisp chopping of meat, fish, and fresh vegetables, and smell a mixture of spices and fragrances. I know your mouth is already watering. Help yourself to a drink, be it wine, spirits, beers, or a glass of fruit and alcohol punch I have especially mixed for this occasion! The choice is yours!

A Few Tips for Preparing Sichuan Food:As a Sichuan native from Southwestern China, you probably already know that I am extremely proud of our distinctive cuisine. One of the best of Chinese cooking traditions, it’s famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and incandescent spiciness of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of Sichuan peppercorn, which often produces a “tingly-numbing” sensation in the mouth long after you’re done eating. There are many distinctive characteristics, but the most prominent traits: spicy, hot, fresh, and fragrant. The must-have ingredients include: garlic, chili, ginger, star anise, spring onion, and coriander. Broad bean chili paste is a staple seasoning in Sichuan cuisine. In some dishes, the chefs also use food preserved through pickling, salting, drying, and smoking.

Basic Ingredients for Sichuan Cuisine

The most common cooking techniques employed have been stir frying, steaming, and braising, with more than 20 distinct techniques. For today’s feast, apart from the usual suspects (watched the video at the end for the full display), I have prepared a stir-fried chicken, i,e, Gongbao Chicken ( 宫爆鸡), which is easy to cook and you can try it at home, if it takes your fancy.

Without further ado, I’ll show you how to prepare them in a sequence of photos with brief instructions.

fry chicken pieces in the wok

Step 1: Bring oil to a boil, add salt, then pour chicken pieces into the wok. Stir-fry for 2-5 minutes, until golden, or when you think it’s cooked to your liking.

Mixed Peppers into Wok

Step 2: Add pepper of your choice. Personally, I prefer a colourful choice of red, green, and yellow, which are cut into square pieces. Continue to fry for another minute or so.

Step 3: If you’re not allergic to nuts, add peanuts or cashews, before putting in a spoonful of chilli bean saurce, and continue to stir for a few seconds.

peanuts for crunchness

Step 4: Finally, sprinkle the wok with Spring onions and fresh coriander just before or after you empty the wok onto your serving dish.

Junying’s Gongbao Chicken

Please watch a short video of the feast I have prepared for you, our distinguished guests from all over the globe. There are simple instructions on how to prepare a steamed sea bass, as well as further demonstrations on making a tasty ‘Gongbao’ Chicken. Bon Appitit! Watch Junying’s Sichuan Style Feast video on YouTube or click on the link below. I promise that you’ll want to try them at home.

Chongqing Spicy Chicken 重庆辣子鸡

I hope you have enjoyed this sumptuous banquet in my humble home,  If you haven’t already passed out, please leave a comment to let me know how much fun you’ve had!

Sichuan Food, Hot & Spicy