Kung Pao Chicken
Spicy chicken with peanuts, similar to what is served in Chinese restaurants.
Ingredients
Marinade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
Sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or substitute good quality balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
8 to 10 dried red chiles
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
Instructions
Marinade
- In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Add the chicken and stir gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Sauce
- In another bowl, combine the black vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved and set aside.
- You may need to turn on your stove’s exhaust fan, because stir-frying dried chiles on high heat can get a little smoky.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base.
- Add the chiles and stir fry for about 30 seconds, or until the chiles have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant.
- Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the scallion whites, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients.
- Stir in the peanuts and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.
Find it online: https://simplygreatrecipes.com/kung-pao-chicken/
