Kung Pao chicken
Kung Pao chicken is one of the world’s most popular Chinese dishes and it’s made with stir fried chicken, peanuts, and chili peppers. This dish can be found throughout China and there are several regional variations. My favorite is the Sichuan version which is actually not that spicy.
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There are 24 different flavors in Sichuan cuisine, and from this, Kung Pao chicken should taste savory, sour and sweet with a hint of spicy. In Sichuan, we describe it as “the lychee flavor”. The chicken is tender, glossy, and covered with the lychee sauce, and the roasted peanuts are crunchy and nutty. I hope this dish will introduce you to more Sichuan food that is not limited to super spicy and numbing flavors.
Ingredients:
\- 250g boneless chicken thighs
\- 2 green onions
\- 5g ginger
\- 1g Sichuan peppercorns
\- 5g dried chilies
\- 3-4 cloves of garlic
\- 30-40g roasted peanuts
\- 1oz cornstarch water (1 tsp cornstarch + 1oz water)
Marinade:
\- 2g salt
\- 1 tsp (5ml) Chinese cooking wine
\- 1 tsp soy sauce
\- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
\- 1 tbsp (15ml) cornstarch water
\- 1 tsp oil
Cooking sauce:
\- 2g salt
\- 1 tsp (5ml) Chinese cooking wine
\- 1 tsp soy sauce
\- 2 tsps sugar
\- 1 tbsp (15ml) black vinegar
\- 1 tbsp cornstarch water
Directions:
1. Cut the chicken into small cubes, about half an inch size. Marinate it for about 10 minutes with Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and cornstarch water.
2. Slice the ginger and garlic, and chop the green onions into big chunks. Make the cooking sauce as listed above.
3.Stir frying: Add 2-2.5 tbsps oil in the hot pan and flash-fry the Sichuan peppercorns using medium to high heat to add fragrance to the oil. Remove them before they turn black. Using high heat, stir fry the chicken with ginger and garlic for 2 minutes.
4. Add the dried chilies and quickly stir fry everything for 30 seconds. Add the cooking sauce and cook for another minute. Finally, add the roasted peanuts and green onions and stir fry for 30 seconds.
Enjoy!
Notes:
1. The cornstarch water will prevent the chicken from overcooking later on.
2. Adding a little bit of oil in the marinade will help to prevent the chicken from sticking together.
