Kung Pao Chicken with Peanuts and Chilli
shared by המטבח של Nibblore
This sweet and spicy stir-fry combines juicy chicken, roasted peanuts, crisp red pepper and fragrant chillies. A short marinade keeps the chicken tender, while mixing the sauce in advance makes it easy to stir-fry everything quickly without overcooking. Serve immediately with steamed rice. • Open a window or switch on the extractor fan before frying the chillies, as the spicy fumes can irritate your eyes and throat. • If your wok is smaller than 35 cm, cook the chicken in three batches so it browns instead of steaming. • For milder heat, use 4 whole dried chillies; for a hotter dish, leave some of the seeds in. • Chinese black rice vinegar adds characteristic malty depth, so use it if available. • Replace the chicken breast with 650 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into cubes; add about 1 minute to the cooking time if needed. • Replace the Shaoxing wine with the same amount of dry sherry. • Instead of black rice vinegar, combine 2 teaspoons regular rice vinegar with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. • Replace the red pepper with an equal amount of courgette or green pepper, keeping the stir-frying time brief. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, stir-fry in a pan over medium heat with 1–2 tablespoons water for 3–4 minutes, until the chicken is piping hot; the peanuts will soften slightly. To freeze, omit the peanuts and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, reheat in a pan and add freshly roasted peanuts before serving.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 600 gchicken breast, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 tbsplight soy sauce, for marinating the chicken
- 1 tbspShaoxing wine
- 2 tspcornflour, for marinating the chicken
- 1 tspneutral oil, for marinating the chicken
- 3 tbsplight soy sauce, for the sauce
- 1 tbspChinese black rice vinegar
- 1 tbspbrown sugar
- 80 mlwater
- 1 tspcornflour, for the sauce
- ½ tsptoasted sesame oil
- 2 tbspneutral oil, for stir-frying
- 8dried red chillies, cut into sections and seeds shaken out
- 1 tspSichuan peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 3 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
- 15 gfresh ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
- 1red pepper, cut into 2 cm pieces
- 4spring onions, white and green parts separated and cut into sections
- 75 gunsalted roasted peanuts
Instructions
- 1Combine the chicken with 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons cornflour and 1 teaspoon oil in a bowl. Leave at room temperature for exactly 15 minutes.
- 2Whisk 3 tablespoons light soy sauce with the black rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, 1 teaspoon cornflour and the sesame oil in a small bowl until smooth. Arrange all the remaining ingredients beside the hob, as the stir-frying happens quickly.
- 3Heat a 35 cm wok or a wide, heavy-based frying pan over high heat for 2 minutes, until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, spread half the chicken into a single layer and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden but still slightly undercooked in the centre. Transfer to a plate, then repeat with the remaining chicken and remaining tablespoon of oil.
- 4Return the wok to medium-high heat. Add the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for 20–30 seconds, just until fragrant; do not let the chillies brown. Add the garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onions, then stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- 5Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until brightly coloured and beginning to soften but still crisp. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the wok.
- 6Whisk the sauce mixture again, pour it around the sides of the wok and stir continuously for 1–2 minutes, until glossy and thick enough to coat the chicken. Check that the chicken is opaque throughout and reaches 74°C in the centre of the thickest piece.
- 7Turn off the heat, fold in the peanuts and green parts of the spring onions, then serve immediately. Avoid cooking them further so the peanuts and pepper stay crisp.