Kung Pao Chicken

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

Marinade Recipe:

• 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.

Sauce Recipe:

• 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.

Instructions

1. 1
   Massage the chicken with the marinade in a small bowl for half a minute.  Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2. 2
   Heat the oil in a wok on high heat. Once the wok starts smoking, turn the stove top off. Add the red peppers and peppercorns to the pan quickly stirring for 1 minute being careful to not burn the dried chilies.
3. 3
   Add the chicken to the pan and turn the heat back on to medium high.
4. 4
   Once the outer later of the chicken is cooked and no longer raw, add the ginger and garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. 5
   Slowly add the sauce a tablespoon at a time, making sure the chicken is absorbing all the flavors between additions.
6. 6
   Once the chicken is done cooking, add the green parts of the scallions and peanuts. Cook for a minute or two longer.
7. 7
   Serve immediately.