Kung pao chicken from \"chinese cooking\" (very good)

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Chicken breast; (about 1 lb.), skinned, boned and cubed
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
3 tablespoons Light soy sauce
Salt
½ Egg white; lightly beaten
1 slice Ginger root; smashed and minced
3 Dried red chile peppers; seeds removed
1 Green bell pepper; cut into 1 inch squares
1 small Onion; cut into 1 inch squares
1 Clove garlic; smashed and minced
1 Green onion; minced
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine; or dry sherry
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Vinegar
3 tablespoons Stir-fried peanuts*** or roasted peanuts
Water
Peanut oil

Directions

PREPARATION: In a small bowl, combine cubed chicken, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, egg white and ginger. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes. On a platter, arrange prepared chiles, green pepper, onion, garlic and green onion. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, wine, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Set aside. Have peanuts, salt, water and oil at hand.

METHOD: Heat wok and add 1 tablespoon oil. With a spatula, swirl oil around to coat sides of wok and heat until oil just begins to smoke. Add garlic and stir-fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add green pepper and a pinch of salt; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add onion squares, another pinch of salt and sprinkle 1 tablespoon water down sides of wok. Continue to stir-fry until tender crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside. To wok, add 3 tablespoons oil and heat until oil begins to smoke.

Add dried chile peppers and stir-fry until they turn dark brown. Remove chiles from oil and discard. Add chicken to wok, spreading it in a single layer, and stir-fry until all pink color disappears, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Return vegetables to wok and stir-fry to combine. Make a well and add wine mixture, stir-frying to combine. Remove to serving platter and garnish with peanuts and green onion. Serve at once.

This dish may be served with rice or in Mandarin pancakes, like Mu Shu Pork.

Serves 2 to 3 Amercian style, 4 to 6 Chinese style.

*** To stir-fry almonds, cashews or peanuts, heat 1 cup peanut oIl in wok to 375 degrees or until a cube of bread dropped in oil rises to the surface and browns quickly. Add blanched nuts and stir-fry just until light brown.

(Be sure to keep heat at an even temperature, since nuts burn easily.) Remove nuts at once and drain on paper towel; salt nuts lightly and set aside.

MC formatted by Brenda Adams <adamsfmle@...> and MC_Buster. MC posted 9/19/97.

Note: This dish is spicy and pretty easy. Another name for it could be Stir-Fry Chicken with Chile Peppers. It's very tasty. I sometimes add some slivers of carrots. You can reduce the amount of red peppers if you're not into heat.

Recipe by: Mary Wilson, "Chinese Cooking" 1979 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #791 by Badams <adamsfmle@...> on Sep 19, 1997

Related recipes