Kung Pao Chicken

Name: Kung Pao Chicken
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, in 1.5 cm cubes; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry; 2 tsp cornstarch; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar, or balsamic; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp cornstarch; 3 tbsp water or chicken stock; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 10 dried red chilies, snipped in half, seeds shaken out; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns; 3 cloves garlic, sliced; 2 cm fresh ginger, sliced; 4 scallions, white parts in 2 cm lengths, greens sliced; 75 g (½ cup) roasted unsalted peanuts

Sichuan stir-fry of chicken, peanuts and dried chilies in a sweet-sour, tingly glaze

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Level: Some skill

The real Sichuan dish is nothing like the gloopy takeaway version: tender cubes of marinated chicken stir-fried fast with dried chilies, Sichuan pepper, scallions and peanuts, then coated in a light, glossy sauce that's sweet, sour and gently numbing. It is usually said to be named after a 19th-century Sichuan governor, Ding Baozhen, whose honorary title was Gong Bao.

Ingredients

Marinade

500 gboneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 lb 2 oz)in 1.5 cm cubes
1 tspsoy sauce
1 tspShaoxing wineor dry sherry
2 tspcornstarch
1 pinchfine sea salt

Sauce

1 tbspChinkiang black vinegaror balsamic
1 tbspsoy sauce
1 tbspsugar
1 tspcornstarch
3 tbspwater or chicken stock

Stir-fry

3 tbspneutral oil
10dried red chiliessnipped in half, seeds shaken out
1 tspSichuan peppercorns
3 clovesgarlicsliced
2 cmfresh gingersliced
4scallionswhite parts in 2 cm lengths, greens sliced
75 groasted unsalted peanuts (½ cup)

Diet: Dairy-free
Allergens: peanuts, soy, gluten, sulphites, celery
Origin: China (Sichuan)

Method

Toss the chicken with the marinade ingredients and leave 15 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. 15 min
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until smoking. Add the oil, then the chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir for 10–15 seconds, until the chilies darken slightly and smell toasty — don't let them blacken.
Add the chicken immediately and spread it out. Let it sear 30 seconds, then stir-fry until opaque and lightly browned, 3–4 minutes. 4 min
Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and stir-fry 1 minute, until fragrant. Check a large piece of chicken: it should be cooked through, 74°C (165°F). 1 min
Stir the sauce, pour it in and toss until it thickens and turns glossy, 20–30 seconds.
Toss in the peanuts and scallion greens and serve at once with rice (Perfect Rice). Warn diners not to eat the whole chilies.

Why it works

Coating the chicken in cornstarch (a technique called velveting) forms a thin layer that protects the meat from the wok's fierce heat and helps the sauce cling. Frying the chilies and Sichuan pepper briefly first flavors the oil with smoky heat and the citrusy, numbing tingle the Sichuan call ma la. The sauce's sugar and black vinegar are balanced so it's tangy rather than sweet.

Common mistakes

Burning the dried chilies — they turn bitter in seconds. Have the chicken ready.
Adding peanuts early, so they soften. Add them at the end.
Too much sauce. It should coat the chicken in a thin glaze, not pool.

Variations

With vegetables: Add 1 diced red pepper and 1 diced celery stick with the garlic (add celery to the allergens).
Kung pao tofu: Use 400 g firm tofu, pressed, cubed and fried crisp first.

Make ahead and storage

Best eaten immediately. Prep all the parts up to 4 hours ahead.

Notes

Sichuan peppercorns and black vinegar are in Asian grocers. Toast and grind leftover peppercorns to sprinkle over finished dishes. Celery only if you use stock rather than water. Where Crispy Tofu with Sticky Soy-Ginger Glaze is about a crunchy crust and a sweet glaze, the tofu variation here is about heat, Sichuan pepper and a thin sour-sweet sauce.