Frango de panela quente de Cangzhou - Uma delícia ardente e saborosa

Cangzhou Hot Pot Chicken (沧州火锅鸡), a traditional masterpiece, hails from the city of Cangzhou in Hebei Province, China. This dish boasts a harmonious blend of colors, scents, and flavors. The star ingredients include chicken, tomatoes, bean paste, garlic, star anise, and chili. The centerpiece is unquestionably the chicken, delivering a tantalizing, numbing, and savory experience. Accompanied by dipping sauces like aged vinegar and garlic, it leaves a remarkable and lingering taste.

A Tale of Origin and Evolution

Hot pot, with a history spanning over 1,900 years, is an indigenous culinary delight of China. The concept of hot pot has a Sichuan origin, with a rich and evolving history. Cangzhou’s spicy hot pot chicken is the result of a fusion of the Sichuan hot pot and traditional chicken preparations. Over many years and generations, adjustments in both technique and flavor have molded Cangzhou Hot Pot Chicken into the mouthwatering delicacy it is today.

The Culinary Process

1. Begin by chopping the chicken into chunks and thoroughly washing them to remove any traces of yellow fat inside the chicken.
2. Parboil the chicken chunks in boiling water and use chopsticks to retrieve them once they’re cooked, draining any excess water. This step ensures there are no bone remnants in the soup.
3. Heat a wok with a small amount of oil and stir-fry chopped scallions until they turn slightly yellow. Add a packet of Pixian bean paste to the wok and sauté until the distinct aroma of the bean paste emerges, approximately 3-4 minutes. Then, add the parboiled chicken chunks and a bit of soy sauce (adjust to taste) and stir-fry for an additional 3-4 minutes before adding water.
4. Add scallions, ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, black peppercorns, dried red chili peppers, star anise, and salt to the wok. Use a traditional iron pot for stewing (without a lid) for around 30 minutes.
5. Prepare an array of vegetables for dipping, such as vermicelli, tofu skin, kelp, white tofu, pork blood, potatoes, and lettuce.
6. Finally, prepare a garlic and vinegar dipping sauce for your chicken.

Cangzhou Hot Pot Chicken is a culinary journey that stimulates the senses and awakens your palate. This fiery and flavorful dish continues to delight food enthusiasts with its rich history and bold flavors, making it a must-try for anyone seeking a taste of Hebei’s culinary heritage.

Hebei dishes