What are some clear honey and chili sauces in Chinese cuisine?
I used to go to a Chinese restaurant near my house for years and I usually ordered what they called "Hunan Chicken". It was breaded chicken pieces, similar to what you'd get with Sweet & Sour Chicken, but with a very sweet, very hot sauce, and diced onion and bell pepper. It was nothing like any other Hunan Chicken I've had before or since.
I'm looking to make this myself, as I haven't been able to find it again anywhere else, and I think I can use chicken bits like from Sweet & Sour Chicken, but I just can't figure out the sauce.
Is there a golden, clear, honey and chili oil-based sauce in Chinese cuisine that I can use as a starting point to try to recreate this dish?
Best Answer
Could it be a standard sweet and sour sauce, but with Chili's / Szechuan peppercorn added?
Perhaps experiment with this sauce with various chili blends (using both fresh and dried).
https://thewoksoflife.com/sweet-and-sour-chicken/
Chinese peppers aren't usually insanely hot.
The below recipe has some pictures of peppers that I often see in Hunan food, and the fermented sauce might add a certain something to your dish.
https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-fermented-chili-sauce/
Another possibility is the inclusion of Szechuan flavors, such as mala, from various types of Szechuan peppers. Let me know if you need more information on this. Szechuan peppercorn powder lack the punch and are just floral.
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