Chinese · Xinjiang · main

Big Plate Chicken (Da Pan Ji)

Big Plate Chicken (Da Pan Ji) reads umami 7.8, salinity 5.0 and warm spice 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese · Xinjiang main, about 1 hr 4 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.8 · Salinity 5.0 · Warm Spice 4.8 · Sweetness 4.7 · Richness 4.2 · Allium 4.2 · Funk & Ferment 3.6 · Heat 2.1 · Herbaceous 1.6 · Earthy 1.5 · Bitterness 1.3 · Fruity 1.3 · Nutty 1.3 · Citrus 1.3 · Sourness 1.0 · Floral 0.8

What's in it (20)

• chicken — 1300 g
• rapeseed oil — 41 g
• sugar — 40 g
• sichuan chilli bean paste — 30 g
• dried red chillies — 30 g
• freshly ground star anise — 200 g
• cassia
• bay leaf — 1 g
• sichuan pepper — 5 g
• fresh ginger — 30 g
• garlic — 18 g
• onion — 110 g
• shaoxing wine — 44 g
• soy sauce — 30 g
• soy sauce — 15 g
• water — 800 g
• potatoes — 600 g
• green pepper — 100 g
• red pepper — 100 g
• flat noodles — 400 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 4 min (1 hr 3 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 136.3 kcal, 8.4 g protein, 6.8 g fat, 11.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Blanch the chicken 3 minutes in boiling water, drain and rinse off the scum, then pat dry.
2. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan over medium heat, add the rock sugar and let it melt to a dark amber, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken and stir 3 minutes, until every piece is coated and browned.
3. Add the chilli bean paste and fry 45 seconds until the oil turns red, then the dried chillies, whole spices, ginger and garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Splash in the Shaoxing wine, add both soy sauces and the hot water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes and simmer uncovered 20 to 25 minutes more, until they are soft enough to break under a spoon and have thickened the sauce, and the chicken is coming off the bone. Add the onion and peppers for the last 5 minutes so they keep some bite.
6. Boil the noodles separately 2 minutes, drain, and lay them across the base of a very large platter. Pour the chicken and all its sauce over the top. The noodles going in at the end, underneath everything, is the whole architecture of da pan ji: the sauce is the point, and there must be enough of it to soak them.
7. Substitutions: light beer can stand in for the hot water.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Andong Jjimdak (Braised Chicken with Glass Noodles and Dried Chile) — Korean
• Tofu Katsu with Curry Sauce — Japanese
• Japanese Curry with Beef and Potatoes — Japanese
• Rou Jia Mo (Shaanxi Chopped Pork in a Bun) — Chinese · Shaanxi
• Jangjorim (Soy-Braised Beef Shank with Quail Eggs) — Korean

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, warm spice mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.