recipes

Kung Pao Chicken

February 15

This dish originates from the Sichuan province of China. It’s sweet, sticky and spicy sauce is an ideal coating for crispy nuggets of chicken. Traditional recipes call for Chinese black vinegar for the sharpness it adds. If you can’t track it down, you could possibly swap with balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar, to achieve the sharpness this dish requires.

Serves 4
30 mins

Method

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, cornflour, sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken pieces and toss until completely coated.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok over a high heat and once hot, add the chicken and fry until cooked through, golden brown and crisp. Drain in a colander set over a bowl.
3. Remove the majority of oil, leaving 1-2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Whisk together the cornflour with a little of the chicken stock before whisking in the rest of the stock, rice wine, chinese black vinegar and soy sauce.
4. Bring the heat back up to high on the wok and fry the chillies until blackened before adding the garlic, spring onions, ginger and peanuts. Stir fry until aromatic and the garlic and ginger are lightly browned.
5. Add the chicken back to the pan with the chicken stock mixture, sesame oil and sugar. Bring to a steady simmer and cook until the sauce becomes slightly thickened for a further 3 minutes.
6. Once the chicken is glossy, serve with rice.

For the chicken:

2 egg whites

3 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp sesame oil

1.1lbs chicken thighs, skinless, boneless and cut into scant 3cm pieces

2 ¼ cups rapeseed or canola oil

For the sauce:

8 Chinese Red Peppers or Tianjin peppers (alternatively, use one red chilli, finely sliced)

6 cloves garlic, finely grated

6 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 thumb sized piece ginger, finely grated

½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts

2 tbsp Cornflour

¼ cup Shaoxing rice wine

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup Chinese black vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp sugar

Salt

To serve:

Rice, cooked

For the chicken:

2 egg whites

3 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp sesame oil

500g chicken thighs, skinless, boneless and cut into scant 3cm pieces

500ml rapeseed or canola oil

For the sauce:

8 Chinese Red Peppers or Tianjin peppers (alternatively, use one red chilli, finely sliced)

6 cloves garlic, finely grated

6 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 thumb sized piece ginger, finely grated

75g roasted unsalted peanuts

2 tbsp Cornflour

50ml Shaoxing rice wine

50ml soy sauce

50ml chicken stock

2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp sugar

Salt

To serve:

Rice, cooked