Kung Pao Chicken

I knew about Kung Pao chicken when I used to play this game in FB called Cafe World. Kung Pao chicken is one of the menu and I was curious about how it looks and tastes in real world.

So I googled for the recipe from Internet and chose the one from SimplyRecipe. But I didn´t follow exactly it is..again, I modified to suit things.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of Szechwan peppercorns (optional) - I omitted this
• 8 red, dried chili peppers
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger - I cut into small, thin strips
• 6 green onions, chopped - I substituted with green capsicum
• 2/3 cup of roasted, unsalted peanuts - I substituted with roasted cashew nuts

For the marinade

• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sherry or Shaoxing rice wine - I substituted with rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch

For the sauce

• 3 teaspoons of Chinkiang or 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar - I used apple vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch

METHOD

1 Mix together the marinade ingredients. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and toss them in the marinade and set aside.

2 Combine all the ingredients for the sauce, whisking well to ensure the cornstarch is fully incorporated. Set aside.

3 Thinly slice the garlic. Break the chilies open and discard the seeds inside, then cut them into a few large pieces (the dish will already be very hot, keeping the seeds will make it near inedible).

4 Place the 2 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a wok or large saute pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the chilies and Szechwan peppercorns if using. Stir-fry for a few second until they become fragrant being careful not to burn them. Add the chicken, as soon as the pieces have separated add the ginger, garlic, and green onions. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

5 Add the sauce and toss. When the sauce becomes thick add the peanuts, toss, and serve.

Serves 4.