This week, Candy Hom, the founder of dumpling pop-up Soupbelly, shared her recipe for Sichuan stir-fried shredded potatoes. She created the recipe over 10 years ago after eating the dish at a restaurant in Flushing, Queens.
“It’s a very common dish found in a lot of traditional Sichuan restaurants. Eating a potato dish that wasn’t deep fried, baked, mashed, or covered in mayo was refreshing, so I made my version according to my family’s taste,” Hom said of her recipe.
These shredded potatoes may seem like just a sidekick to more well-known, gussied-up Sichuan dishes studded with scallions and greens, vibrant red chilis, and peppercorns, as in Chongqing chicken, mapo tofu, and twice-cooked pork, but don’t let the unassuming appearance fool you. The julienned potatoes are packed with salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors.
After slicing into matchsticks, Hom soaks the potato slivers in salt water to remove excess starch, which causes a similar texture to al dente pasta when stir-fried.
“Feel free to adjust to your preferences, as you may want a different salt, sugar, or vinegar balance. If you aren’t able to find Chinkiang vinegar, white vinegar will do just fine,” Hom suggested. “And if you can find Chinkiang vinegar, get yourself a Longhorn [chili] pepper to slice thinly into the aromatics mix.”
While not integral ingredients for this recipe, the addition of Chinkiang vinegar and a Longhorn chili pepper provide “more complexity and depth” of flavor to the dish. You can find both ingredients at the Buford Highway Farmers Market.
Here’s how to make Candy Hom’s Sichuan stir-fried shredded potatoes.
Ingredients
- 3 medium size Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 tsp. salt (add to water for soaking potatoes)
- 2 tsp. cooking oil
- 1 tsp. ginger, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 dried red chilies
- 1 Chinese Longhorn chili pepper, sliced thinly (optional)
- 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp. sugar, more to taste
- 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang vinegar, more to taste (use white vinegar as a substitute)
- Salt to taste
- Chopped green onion for garnish
Instructions
1. Peel the potatoes and cut into matchsticks. Feel free to use a mandolin if you have one. Place matchsticks in a large bowl, add enough water to cover. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of salt into the water and soak for at least 10 minutes. Rinse and drain well.
2. If you want the dish on the milder side, simply remove the seeds from the dried chili peppers before using.
3. In a wok or large skillet on medium-high heat, add oil, ginger, garlic, chilies, and peppercorns. Heat until aromatic (30 seconds).
4. Add potatoes. Stir fry for around four minutes, add sugar and vinegar. Continue to stir fry until al dente, add salt to taste. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.
