Flavor of Sichuan peppercorns has no substitute

I’m all in favor of substitutions when cooking, and realize that sometimes because of dietary issues or to save money or cut waste, it is essential to use this in place of that. If you can, however, I strongly encourage you to use Sichuan peppercorns for this Orange Sichuan Pepper Chicken from Sarah Tiong’s “Modern Asian” cookbook.

When I asked Tiong why the peppercorn was key to her interpretation of this popular Chinese dish, she explained via email from her home in Australia: “It adds a beautiful balance of pepperiness and floral notes to the dish. It’s perfectly paired with aromatic and warm spices like cinnamon, star anise and clove.”

Each of these spices are at play here, and she uses all of them whole, scooping up the small peppercorns with her chicken and sauce.

“I love biting into these little bombs of flavor in the sauce,” she said of the peppercorns. “It adds texture and excitement.”

By excitement, she is referring to the numbing or anesthetic effect on the tongue, which is believed to be caused by the hydroxy-alpha sanshool molecules in Sichuan peppercorns -which are not actually peppercorns at all, but are the dried citrus berries of the prickly ash tree. (I tried the dish with black pepper and it was still delicious, but I did miss the distinctive Sichuan flavor.)

Tiong advises toasting the peppercorns in a dry pan over medium heat or slipping them into a hot oven for a few minutes to activate the aroma and boost the flavor. Then, if leaving them whole seems too adventurous, grind them in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle.