Kung Pao Chicken
Sichuan chicken with peanuts, dried chillies and the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper. Sharp, sweet and hot at once, and quick once everything is chopped.
- Time
- 30 mins
- Serves
- 4
- Steps
- 7
- Ingredients
- 11
Method
- 01
Toss the chicken with 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp soy sauce and leave 15 minutes.
- 02
Stir the remaining soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar and cornstarch together with 3 tbsp water to make the sauce.
- 03
Get the wok very hot, add oil, and fry the chicken in one layer for 2 minutes before stirring. Remove.
- 04
Turn the heat down and add the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Fry 20 seconds only - burnt chillies make the whole dish bitter.
- 05
Add the garlic and ginger and stir 15 seconds.
- 06
Return the chicken, pour in the sauce and toss until it thickens and coats, about 1 minute.
- 07
Stir in the peanuts and spring onions off the heat so the peanuts stay crunchy.
Cooking Tips
- Fry the dried chillies and Sichuan pepper for 20 seconds only. Burnt chillies make the whole dish bitter.
- Add the peanuts off the heat so they stay crunchy.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Chinese black vinegar is worth seeking out; balsamic is the nearest common substitute.
- Leave out the Sichuan peppercorns if you do not want the numbing tingle.
What to Serve With It
- Serve with plain rice to balance the sharp, sweet sauce.
Storage and Reheating
- Keeps 3 days, though the peanuts soften. Add fresh peanuts when reheating.
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