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EDDIE TEO

K

nown as one of China’s eight great cuisines, Sichuan food is

often described as spicy and numbing. It is, however, more

than just a one-note cuisine. Executive Chinese chef Rick Du

of Summer Palace restaurant in Shangri-la Hotel Shenyang describes

each of the seven basic flavours – sour, pungent, hot, sweet, bitter,

aromatic and spicy – and their roles in the cuisine.

For example, mala (hot, spicy, pungent and bitter) is made up of a

laundry list of ingredients, with Sichuan peppercorn and chilli peppers

being the two most prominent ones. The former forms the ma portion

and is considered a hot flavour, while the latter forms the la and is

spicy. Garlic and ginger add pungency.

The Cangzhou Crispy Chicken is a dish brimming with mala

taste as it requires the use of three different types of chilli and rattan

pepper oil (a Sichuan peppercorn extract). Du prefers to use rooster

meat, which has a skin that crisps up well when fried, and the robust

meat flavour is an appropriate complement to the fiery notes.

Yuxiang taste may be lesser known, but it is no less important in

Sichuan cuisine. According to Du, chefs can take years of practice to

achieve the balance of yuxiang. His recipe is one of the many gems to

have come out from his time in Chinese kitchens, and his nomination

as one of China Hotel Global Forum's Platinum Top 10 Chefs is a

testament to his expertise.

Despite the name literally translating to fish taste, there is no

seafood used in the sauce or seasoning for any yuxiang dish. Instead,

a combination of vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and pickled peppers is

used to form a distinct fish-like aroma. This signature base makes for

an excellent starting point for dishes such as Du's Yuxiang Crab. The

secret to a lip-smacking crab? Ensure all exposed flesh is covered with

a liberal coat of cornflour before deep-frying. It prevents the flesh

from becoming too dry during frying.

Check out epicure on YouTube for a behind-the-scenes video of this

masterclass.

Mastering...

Cangzhou Crispy

Chicken and

Yuxiang Crab

Sichuan food is a complex

cuisine made up of seven basic flavours. Chef Rick Du

of Shangri-la Hotel Shenyang demonstrates

two of them: mala and yuxiang.

MASTERCLASS

Yuxiang

Crab