Spicy and Sour Shredded Potato

on

 

 

 

Spicy and Sour Shredded Potato

This appetizing, crispy shredded potato has just the right amount of sourness and bold spiciness. It goes very well with any kind of dish, vegetables or meat.  It  is a pretty well-known, common dish in China, but it’s not nearly as well known here in the US, even among people of Chinese descent. It can usually only be found in very authentic Sichuan restaurants.

 

Ingredients:

2 large red skinned potatoes
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 thin slices of ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-6 dried red chilies, de-seeded and chopped
1 long red (or green) hot pepper, de-seeded and julienned
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chicken stock or water
Salt to taste
1 scallion, chopped

 

Directions:

Step 1:    Peel and julienne the potatoes. (The key to successfully executing this recipe is making sure the potatoes are julienned really thinly. A mandolin slicer is the perfect tool to make the potato strings thin and uniform. ) Soak them in fresh, cold water a couple times (until you can soak them and the water is somewhat clear). Drain and set aside, but don’t let them sit longer than 20 minutes, as they’ll turn brown.

    

 

 

Step 2:    Heat oil in a wok over medium heat, and add the Sichuan peppercorns (make sure they don’t burn). When the peppercorns are fragrant, turn off the heat and scoop all the peppercorns out, leaving the oil in the wok. Discard the used peppercorns.

Over medium heat, add the ginger, garlic and chilies to the oil. Cook for a minute, and add the potatoes and julienned peppers. Turn the heat up to high and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, chicken stock (or water), and salt. Stir-fry everything for a minute and cover for 45 seconds. Uncover, stir in the scallions, and serve!