Kung Pao Chicken
by Alice Currah on Mar 27, 2014
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When I order take-out Chinese food I rarely deviate from the usual. Its safer that way; I know exactly what to expect when I open those brightly white paper containers marked with a black sharpie in barely legible writing. This is part of the take-out experience.
As fun as it is to order our favorite dishes off a soy sauce stained paper menu, I will honestly tell you we order out less these days because Ive made it my personal mission to learn how to make our favorite take-out dishes so we can make it at home. This way I can customize the spectrum of flavors available. It is also important when we have friends or family joining us who sometimes ask about the ingredients due to allergies or food sensitivities.
I love knowing I can make these dishes at home. And Im not talking mediocre, either. Im talking about cooking restaurant quality dishes at a fraction of the cost. Dont get me wrong, I still love occasionally ordering take-out. Who doesnt? But once youve mastered a dish to your own liking its hard to order the same dish again, especially knowing the home version is better. Enjoy!
The aromatic and spicy Sichuan pepper is also known as the Szechwan pepper or Szechuan pepper. A popular spice commonly used in Asian cooking, it is not a pepper or peppercorn despite its name. The peppercorn is the outer coat of the (citrus) prickly-ash tree berry. When used in cooking, it imparts a slight aromatic, spicy numbing flavor.
Kung Pao Chicken
Recipe by Alice Currah
- Servings
- 3-4 as a side dish and 2 as a main
- Prep time
- 15 minutes
- Total time
- 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into ½ - ¾ -inch cubes
- Marinade *See recipe below.
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 8 Chinese dried red chilies, split length wise and seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- Sauce *See recipe below.
- 3 scallions, white parts thinly sliced, green parts set aside cut into 1 inch strips
- 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper corns
- *Instructions: Whisk the ingredients together until the corn starch is dissolved.
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock/broth
- 3 teaspoons sugar (for less sweet, reduce the sugar by 1-2 teaspoons depending on your preference)
- 3 teaspoons soy sauce (depending on how salty the soy sauce and broth are, you can reduce the soy sauce amount by a teaspoon or two or add more if needed, no more than 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- *Instructions: Whisk the ingredients until the corn starch is dissolved.
