Salt and pepper dish is a signature dish of Cantonese cuisine, also known as Guangdong cuisine and commonly named as Yue cuisine throughout China. As its name suggest, it originated from Guangdong, the Southern region of China. Cantonese cuisine is well known for its novel and delicate flavour, as well as its wide ranging and creative ingredients. Enormous emphasis is placed on obtaining fresh and top-quality ingredients in Cantonese cuisines. A big majority of Chinese restaurants in the West typically serve Cantonese cuisine, due to the early migration of Southern Chinese to the West. Salt and pepper dishes are one of the limited types of spicy dishes for Cantonese cuisine and they are extremely popular worldwide amongst all ages. Popular ingredients used for salt and pepper dishes are: tofu, chicken, pork, beef, calamari, fish, prawns and even lobsters. For my gluten free recipe, I am using chicken breasts pieces, pan fried to perfection and lightly drizzled with fresh chilli, garlic and spring onions oil. This recipe is also dairy free, nut free, soy free, egg free and allergy friendly. Check out my other gluten free salt and pepper dishes: Salt and Pepper Tofu, Salt and Pepper Prawns and Salt and Pepper Pork.
The Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is the most common category of domesticated poultry in the world that belongs to the subspecies of the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), a chicken that still roams wild in large parts of Southeast Asia and highly possible to be crossbred with the grey junglefowl (G. sonneratii). Current evidence indicated that chickens were first domesticated in China and India. They were initially raised for hobby, cockfighting, very special occasions and holidays and were not farmed for food until probably up to 8,000 years ago. With its pleasant taste and consistent texture, chicken has become a universal food and suitable for just about any cuisines in the world. Today, chicken farmed for their meat are called broilers and those farmed for their eggs are called layer hens. Chicken is now the most commonly eaten white meat all over the world.
Chicken breast is the most popular cut of meat, it is not only affordable but also a superb source of lean protein compared to red meat. Skinless and boneless chicken breasts are naturally low in fat and sodium and are considered a low-carb food as they do not contain any carbohydrates. Since they are highly versatile and can be cooked in many ways, they can easily be included into a healthy balanced diet. Chicken breasts are an excellent source of essential minerals like phosphorus and potassium. They are also a good source of essential minerals and vitamins like selenium, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), folate/folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K. Health benefits of chicken breasts include: help maintain and build strong body muscles; boost healthy immune system; reduce risks of high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases; support weight management; help regulate blood pressure; lower risks of cancer particularly colon cancer; maintain healthy bones, teeth and the central nervous system and boosts metabolism of the body. Furthermore, chicken breast is a natural anti-depressant as it contains the amino acid called tryptophan which will boosts the brain’s serotonin level and elevates your moods and alleviate stress.
Cantonese Salt and Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- Rice bran oil for pan frying
- 1.5 kg 3.3Ib skinless and boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- Steamed rice to serve
For The Marinade:
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons pale or medium dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
For The Flour mixture:
- 1½ cup rice flour
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
- 1½ teaspoon salt
For the garlic oil:
- 3 tablespoons rice bran oil
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 large fresh red chillies finely chopped
- 2 spring onion shallots, finely sliced
For the Garnish:
- Freshly grind black peppercorns optional
Instructions
- Heat up a small pot with the rice bran oil, pan fry the garlic on low heat until lightly golden, then add in the chillies and spring onion (shallots) and briefly stir-fry for another 1 minute. Turn off the heat and set aside in a small bowl.
- Marinate the chicken pieces with the marinade prepared, rub and mix well into the chicken pieces. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Add the flour mixture into a large mixing bowl, whisk and mix well. Lightly coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture using a kitchen tong, shake off excess.
- Heat up a frying pan with 2 inches of rice bran oil, and pan fry the chicken pieces for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Pan fry the chicken pieces in 3 batches. Drain on kitchen paper towel before placing on a serving plate.
- To serve, drizzle with the garlic oil.
- Serve with steamed rice.
