Kung Pao Chicken
Glossy reddish-brown with shimmering oil; tender, crisp, and fresh with a rich lychee-like flavor; savory and palate-pleasing.
Ingredients
Chicken breast (washed, trimmed of sinew and fat, scored with a crosshatch pattern, diced)
300 g
Dried red chili peppers (wiped clean, stems and seeds removed, cut into short segments)
15 g
Sichuan peppercorns
5 g
Peanuts (skins removed, fried until crispy)
50 g
Ginger (cut into small square slices)
10 g
Scallions (cut into short segments)
10 g
Garlic (cut into small square slices)
10 g
Vegetable oil
25 g
Lard (add as needed)
25 g
Salt
2 g
Shaoxing wine
20 g
Cornstarch slurry
80 g
Soy sauce
25 g
Vinegar
15 g
Sugar
15 g
MSG
0.5 g
Stock
50 g
Instructions
1
Marinate
Wash the chicken breast, trim away all sinew and fat, and pat loose with the flat of a knife. Score a crosshatch pattern to a depth of two-thirds the thickness of the meat, then chop into 1.5 cm cubes. Mix with salt, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch slurry and let marinate briefly to absorb the flavor.
2
Prepare ingredients
Wipe the dried chilies clean, remove stems and seeds, and cut into short segments. Cut the scallions into short segments and the ginger and garlic into small squares. Fry the peanuts in oil until the red skins come off and they turn crispy, then remove and set aside.
3
Mix sauce
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, Shaoxing wine, MSG, cornstarch slurry, and stock to make a lychee-flavor sauce.
4
Stir-fry
Place a wok over high heat, add the vegetable oil and heat until hot. Add the chili segments and stir-fry until they turn a deep reddish-brown, then add the Sichuan peppercorns and stir briefly. Add an appropriate amount of lard, add the chicken cubes and stir-fry to separate them, add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and stir-fry briefly, pour in the sauce, quickly toss to coat, and add the peanuts and toss until evenly combined. Plate and serve immediately.
