Home-Style Braised Chicken Legs

Steps

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1. 1
   Place boneless chicken legs skin-side up on a cutting board and cut into large chunks along the muscle lines.
   ≈0:17
2. 2
   Transfer chicken to a bowl and season with salt, sugar, and white pepper. Massage gently with fingertips to allow the seasoning to penetrate, then let sit to marinate.
   ≈0:30
3. 3
   Slice ginger thinly, diagonally cut red chili, diagonally cut scallion whites, crush garlic cloves with the side of a knife, and cut green bell pepper into triangles after removing stem, seeds, and white membrane.
   ≈1:01
4. 4
   Heat a pinch of Sichuan peppercorns with oil in a wok over medium heat until aromatic and bubbling, then remove all peppercorns and discard, leaving behind the infused oil.
   ≈2:55
5. 5
   Reduce heat to medium-low, add ginger, crushed garlic, and scallion whites. Fry until edges dry slightly and fragrant, then stir in spicy bean paste and a splash of sake, mixing thoroughly.
   ≈3:18
6. 6
   Add marinated chicken to the wok and toss with aromatics. Keep chicken skin-side down to render fat and develop color, then flip.
   ≈4:01
7. 7
   Season with white pepper and sugar, then add oyster sauce and soy sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Add a small amount of water and continue stirring.
   ≈4:35
8. 8
   Pour in remaining sake and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes until sauce thickens and chicken darkens in color, adding water as needed.
   ≈5:18
9. 9
   Add red chili slices and green bell pepper, gently toss for about 1 minute until green pepper is half-cooked, then turn off heat and let residual warmth finish cooking.
   ≈5:42
10. 10
    Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy. Serve with rice and optionally drizzle with chili oil for extra flavor.
    ≈6:05