Kung pao chicken recipe

Name: Kung pao chicken recipe
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 400g chicken thigh, cut into 2cm chunks; 2 tbsp plain flour, for dusting; ½ cup peanut oil; 10 dried long red chillies; 10 heaven-facing chillies; 1.5cm piece ginger, finely chopped; 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped; 5 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths (white and green parts separated); 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns; ½ cup toasted peanuts; 1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine; 2 tsp castor sugar; ¼ cup chicken stock; 1½ tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp chilli oil (optional); steamed rice, to serve

Neil Perry

November 17, 2016

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

If you can't find the variety of chillies known as "heaven facing" at your local Asian grocer, use dried small red ones instead. This dish is hot and numbing – and represents everything that is good about Sichuan food.

Ingredients

400g chicken thigh, cut into 2cm chunks
2 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
½ cup peanut oil
10 dried long red chillies
10 heaven-facing chillies
1.5cm piece ginger, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths (white and green parts separated)
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
½ cup toasted peanuts
1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tsp castor sugar
¼ cup chicken stock
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli oil (optional)
steamed rice, to serve

Method

Step 1
Dust the chicken pieces with the flour. Heat 100ml oil in a wok over a medium-high heat (or it tends to sweat and boil rather than fry). Shallow-fry the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towel. Discard oil and wipe out the wok.
Step 2
Place wok back on a medium-low heat and add remaining oil. Gently fry all the chillies until fragrant, then remove from wok and set aside. Add ginger and garlic to wok and stir-fry until fragrant. Add white sections of spring onions, Sichuan peppercorns, half the peanuts, all the reserved chicken and chillies and continue to stir-fry for a minute. Deglaze with Shaoxing, then add sugar, stock and soy, simmer for a minute or two until a sauce forms.
Step 3
Add spring onion greens and stir to coat everything well with the sauce. Serve garnished with remaining peanuts, chilli oil and steamed rice.