Name: Sichuan spicy chicken with rolled rice noodles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 chicken (about 1.5kg), butterflied and halved lengthways; 200 gm shiitake mushrooms; 2 bunches bok choy, halved lengthways; 2 tbsp neutral-flavoured oil; 400 gm rolled fresh rice noodles; 1 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic chives; Glaze; 180 ml (¾ cup) oyster sauce; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tsp crisp chilli oil, plus extra to serve; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, coarsely crushed

Craving a winter warmer? This Sichuan pepper spicy chicken brings the heat and has the oven doing all the heavy lifting.

Whole, butterflied chicken is marinated in a salty, spicy glaze and placed on a bed of shiitake mushrooms. The result is an umami-packed sauce full of depth and complexity — perfect for spooning over crisp rice noodles and just-blanched bok choy.

This spicy chicken dish comes topped with crunchy chilli oil and garlic chives for extra bite, ticking all the boxes of winter cooking: savoury, comforting and hearty.

Ingredients

1 chicken (about 1.5kg), butterflied and halved lengthways

200 gm shiitake mushrooms

2 bunches bok choy, halved lengthways

2 tbsp neutral-flavoured oil

400 gm rolled fresh rice noodles

1 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic chives

Glaze

180 ml (¾ cup) oyster sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp crisp chilli oil, plus extra to serve

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, coarsely crushed

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C fan-forced. For glaze, combine all ingredients in a large bowl; add the chicken and turn to coat. Set aside at room temperature to marinate (30 minutes).

Place mushrooms in a large roasting pan, place chicken on top and pour 200ml water around chicken. Roast until chicken is golden and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced (25-30 minutes). Set aside to rest (10 minutes).

Meanwhile, blanch bok choy in salted boiling water until just tender (2-3 minutes). Drain.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add noodles and cook, turning, until golden and crisp. (5-6 minutes).

Arrange chicken, mushrooms and bok choy on a large serving platter and drizzle with resting juices. Scatter with garlic chives and serve with rice noodles and extra chilli crisp oil on the side.

Recipe by Jessica Brook Recipe Writer and Food Stylist

Jessica’s culinary journey has covered every corner of the food world as a professionally trained chef, recipe writer, food editor, food consultant and stylist. With over 16 years of experience, Jessica has worked across many of Australia's most prestigious food titles, including Gourmet Traveller, Martha Stewart, Donna Hay, and Vogue Entertaining & Travel. When it comes to food, Jessica's all in. With a genuine passion for flavour and a deep appreciation for its diverse cultural influences, Jessica excels in crafting engaging food stories and creating unique recipes. Her style? Tasteful simplicity that highlights the essence of ingredients and heartfelt cooking. You could say she's a bit of a food fanatic, bringing her own unique touch to every dish she creates, particularly in her contributions to Gourmet Traveller through which her dishes resonate with readers seeking new and inspiring culinary experiences.

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