kung pao chicken

Kung pao chicken combines small pieces of chicken, peanuts and dried chillies in a seasoned stir-fry. Judy Leung associates the dish with Sichuan and describes seeing it often in Beijing restaurants. Her recipe uses chicken breast or boneless thigh, marinated with oil, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, salt and white pepper. The peanuts are cooked separately or bought already roasted.^[1]

Her sauce blends light and dark soy sauces with rice vinegar, sugar, water and cornstarch. The chicken is seared and set aside while garlic, ginger, dried chillies, Sichuan pepper and spring-onion whites cook in the wok. The chicken returns before the sauce is added and thickened, with peanuts stirred in at the end. Small pieces of chicken and the crunchy nuts remain distinct within the coating.^[1]