Sichuan Braised Duck with Potatoes
Duck and potatoes are already a pretty great duo, but Sichuan cooking turns them into something a lot more exciting. The duck starts by rendering in its own fat, then gets a glossy coat of doubanjiang, dried chillies, and warming spices before being gently braised into tenderness. The potatoes join the party later, just long enough to turn soft and creamy while soaking up all that spicy, savoury sauce. Three stages, one very happy pot.
Dan Dan Noodles
Dan Dan Noodles are a small bowl with a slightly unreasonable amount going on. There is spicy chilli oil, numbing Sichuan pepper, fermented greens, savoury pork and a rich sesame sauce, all fighting for attention in the best possible way. Traditionally, the noodles arrive beautifully layered and completely unmixed. That part is your problem. Get your chopsticks in there and mix everything until every strand is coated, then try to work out which flavour hit you first.