kung pao chicken
| Chicken: | |
| 800 g | boneless/skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes |
| 1 tbsp | shaoxing wine or dry sherry |
| 1 tbsp | light soy sauce |
| 2 tsp | baking soda |
| 1 tsp | cornstarch / corn flour |
| Sauce: | |
| ½ cup | low-sodium chicken stock (or broth) -- water can be used |
| 5 tbsp | light soy sauce |
| 2 tbsp | Chinese black vinegar (or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar) |
| 2 tbsp | Chinese Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) |
| 2 tsp | dark soy sauce |
| 2 tsp | hoisin sauce |
| 2 tbsp | sugar* |
| 1 tsp | cornstarch / corn flour |
| Stir Fry: | |
| 4 tbsp | cooking oil divided |
| 1½ tbsp | garlic (4-6 cloves) |
| 1 tbsp | ginger |
| ½ | red bell pepper (capsicum) seeded and diced |
| ½ | green bell pepper (capsicum) seeded and diced |
| 8 | dried chilies cut into ½-inch pieces |
| 1 tbsp | Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and ground** |
| 4 | green onion / scallion stems cut into 1-inch pieces |
| ½ cup | roasted/unsalted peanuts |
| 2 tsp | sesame oil optional |
| Combine all ingredients for the chicken in a shallow bowl; cover and marinate for 10 minutes (if time allows). |
| Whisk sauce ingredients together until sugar dissolves; set aside. |
| Heat a large skillet, pan or wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, allow to heat up, then add marinated chicken. Fry chicken for 3-4 minutes while occasionally stirring, until edges are browned. Remove from heat and set aside. |
| Add remaining cooking oil into the same pan/wok. Stir in garlic, ginger, chili diced peppers (capsicums) and Sichuan peppercorns and stir fry for 1 minute. |
| Give the prepared sauce a mix, then pour it into the pan and bring it to a boil while stirring. |
| Once it begins to thicken slightly, add chicken back into the pan/wok and mix all of the ingredients through the sauce until the chicken is evenly coated and sauce has thickened, (about 2 minutes). |
| Stir in green onions, peanuts and sesame oil. Toss well and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes to infuse all of the flavours together. |
| Serve immediately with steamed/cooked rice or fried rice! |
| NOTES |
| *Our kung pao sauce is not sweet for most of our readers and balances out the heat or spice-level. However, start with 1 teaspoon if you are hesitant or omit the sugar completely. |
| **If you are sensitive to spice or you'd like a mild sauce, start with 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns. Adjust accordingly to make it suitable to your taste. |