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Xinjiang Shawan Big Plate Chicken
Chicken pieces first fried golden, then braised with potato, chilli and bean paste, served over wide belt noodles. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 新疆沙湾大盘鸡, report 197.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 新疆沙湾大盘鸡_197.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 45 minutesServings: 2-3Difficulty: MediumRegion: XinjiangFlavour: Spicy, savoury, bean-paste rich
Why this works
Shawan is the town the report credits with this version, and its distinguishing step is right at the start: the chicken is not blanched but fried at 170 °C until golden, which seals in juice and gives the braise something to cling to. From there the dish follows the classic big-plate logic — bloom dried chilli and Sichuan pepper for thirty seconds, fry bean paste until the oil turns red, coat every piece of chicken, then braise in stock while potato goes in halfway so it turns soft without disintegrating. The sauce is the measure of success: reduced until it coats a spoon but never dried out, because the belt noodles underneath need sauce to soak up. Served on one big plate, chicken over noodles, with green pepper added at the end for colour and bite, it is a sharing dish in the most literal sense — one plate, several pairs of chopsticks, and sauce for everyone.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken leg meat, cut into 3 cm pieces | 1.1 lb | 500 g | Bone-in pieces give a richer braise (adaptation). |
| Potato, cut into rolling chunks | 7 oz | 200 g | Soak in water to remove surface starch. |
| Green pepper, cut into chunks | 3.5 oz | 100 g | Added at the end so it stays crisp. |
| Wide belt noodles (pidai mian), pre-cooked | 5.3 oz | 150 g | Cook to 80% done and rinse in cold water, per the report. |
| Doubanjiang (bean paste) | 1 oz | 30 g | — |
| Dried chillies | 0.35 oz | 10 g | — |
| Sichuan peppercorns | 1 tsp | 5 g | — |
| Ready-made stock | 2 cups | 500 ml | Chicken stock or water. |
| Salt, sugar and light soy sauce | To taste | To taste | Report gives these with no quantities specified; season to taste (adaptation). |
| Neutral cooking oil | 3 tbsp + 1 tsp | 50 ml | For frying the chicken and blooming the spices. |
Equipment
- Large pot or wok with a lid
- Pot for cooking noodles
- Large serving plate
Steps
- Prepare. Cut the chicken into 3 cm pieces; do not blanch. Cut the potato into rolling chunks and soak in water, then drain. Cook the belt noodles to 80% done, rinse in cold water and drain.
- Fry the chicken. Heat oil to 170 °C and fry the chicken pieces until the surface is golden. Lift out and drain. Chicken must reach 74 °C / 165 °F by the end of braising (home safety guidance, added as an adaptation).
- Bloom and coat. Leave oil in the pan. Over low heat, fry the dried chillies and Sichuan pepper about 30 seconds without scorching, then add the bean paste and fry about 1 minute until the oil turns red. Add the chicken and stir over medium heat 2 minutes so every piece is coated.
- Braise. Pour in the stock to cover the chicken, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat 15 minutes. Add the potato and simmer 10 minutes more until soft but intact. Season with salt, sugar and light soy sauce to taste.
- Finish and serve. Add the green pepper, turn to high heat and reduce about 2 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon but not dry. Spread the cooked belt noodles on a large plate and pour the chicken and sauce over them. Serve immediately.
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Technique: fry first, sauce last
Frying instead of blanching is the Shawan difference: it keeps the chicken juicy and gives the bean-paste sauce a browned surface to grip. The braise is split — fifteen minutes for chicken alone, ten more with potato — because potato added at the start would collapse. The final reduction is judged by the noodles: sauce that coats a spoon will soak into belt noodles perfectly; sauce reduced to dryness leaves them plain.
Variations
- Bone-in chicken: use bone-in leg pieces and add 5 minutes to the braise (adaptation).
- No belt noodles: serve over steamed rice or wide flat rice noodles instead (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
How is Shawan big plate chicken different?
The report's Shawan version fries the chicken golden before braising, rather than blanching it, for a richer, juicier result.
Why rinse the noodles in cold water?
To stop them cooking further so they do not turn to mush when the hot chicken and sauce are poured over.
Can I use chicken breast?
It will dry out over a 25-minute braise; thigh or leg meat is strongly preferred.
Storage and freezing
Keeps 2 days refrigerated (noodles and chicken stored separately if possible); reheat gently until steaming hot throughout. The chicken freezes up to 1 month; noodles do not freeze well.
Xinjiang Shawan Big Plate Chicken — Recipe Card
Golden-fried chicken braised with potato and bean paste, served over belt noodles.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 45 minutesServings: 2-3
Ingredients: 500 g chicken leg meat; 200 g potato; 100 g green pepper; 150 g belt noodles; 30 g doubanjiang; 10 g dried chillies; 5 g Sichuan pepper; 500 ml stock; salt, sugar and light soy sauce to taste (quantities not given in report); 50 ml oil.
Steps: 1) Fry chicken golden at 170 °C. 2) Bloom spices, fry bean paste, coat chicken. 3) Braise 15 minutes, add potato, 10 minutes more. 4) Add pepper, reduce, serve over noodles.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 新疆沙湾大盘鸡 (data/reports/197.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The salt, sugar and soy quantities, not given in the report, and the safety temperature are home adaptations and are labelled as such. Original poster image: clouchef.com (新疆沙湾大盘鸡_197.jpeg).