kung pao, sichaun

Title: Kung Pao Chicken with Peanuts

Source: Land of Plenty: A Treasure of Authentic Sichuan Cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients: convert   Ingredients 2 (about 2/3
pound total)   boneless chicken breasts, with or without skin 3   garlic cloves and an equivalent amount of fresh ginger 5   scallions, white parts only 2 tablespoons   peanut oil     A generous handful of dried red chiles (at least 10), preferably Sichuanese 1 teaspoon   whole Sichuan pepper 2/3 cup   roasted unsalted peanuts           FOR THE MARINADE 1/2 teaspoon   salt 2 teaspoons   light soy sauce 1 teaspoon   Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry 1 1/2 teaspoons   potato flour or 2 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon   water           FOR THE SAUCE 3 teaspoons   sugar 3/4 teaspoon   potato flour, or 1 1/8 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon   dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon   light soy sauce 3 teaspoons   Chinkiang or black Chinese vinegar 1 teaspoon   sesame oil 1 tablespoon   chicken stock or water

Instructions: Method 1. Cut the chicken as evenly as possible into 1/2-inch strips and then cut these into small cubes. Place in a small bowl and mix in the marinade ingredients.

2. Peel and thinly slice the garlic and ginger, and chop the scallions into chunks as long as their diameter (to match the chicken cubes). Snip the chiles in half or into 2-inch sections. Wearing rubber gloves, discard as many seeds as possible.

3. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl — if you dip your finger in, you can taste the sweet-sour base of the gong bao flavor.

4. Season the wok, then add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat over a high flame. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the chiles and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until they are crisp and the oil is spicy and fragrant. Take care not to burn the spices (you can remove the wok from the heat if necessary to prevent overheating).

5. Quickly add the chicken and fry over a high flame, stirring constantly. As soon as the chicken cubes have separated, add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes until they are fragrant and the meat is cooked through (test one of the larger pieces to make sure).

6. Give the sauce a stir and add it to the wok, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce has become thick and shiny, add the peanuts, stir them in, and serve.

VARIATIONS
The same dish can be made with cubes of pork, shrimp, or prawns. Cashew nuts can be used instead of peanuts for a grander version of this dish, although peanuts are more traditional.

Serves: 2

Stashmatic ID: XRR-85815