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Kung Pao Chicken originates from the mountainous Szechuan region of Western China.

Inspired by Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Prep time:   1 hour     Cooking time:   30 minutes    Serves:  8

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, diced
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or cooking sherry
• 4 teaspoons cold water
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch

Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons red rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Additional ingredients

• 5 dried red chili peppers
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup unsalted, shelled peanuts
• 3 cups peanut oil

Instructions

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes.  Mix together soy sauce, rice wine (or sherry), water and cornstarch.  Marinate the diced chicken for 30 – 60 minutes.
2. While chicken is marinating, whisk together in a small bowl the sauce ingredients.  Set aside.
3. Remove seed from the red chili peppers and chop coarsely.
4. Heat oil in wok to 365 degrees.  Carefully add chicken to hot oil, separating chicken with wooden spoon as it fries for about 1 to 2 minutes until chicken cubes are white.  Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.  Drain all the peanut oil from the wok, except 2 tablespoons.
5. Add the chili peppers and onions to the 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in wok and stir fry until the chili skins begin to blacken.  Add the minced garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds.  Add the chicken cubes to the wok and stir fry for about 30 seconds.  Push chicken up sides of wok and add the sauce mixture to center of the wok.  Stir to thicken sauce.  Stir in peanuts and mix all ingredients in wok together.  Serve hot with Szechuan noodles.

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