Kung Po Chicken, Sichuan Style
At first glance these eye-catching chile peppers look like red jalapeno. However, they have a different flavor and are less meaty than Jalapeno. Red Fresnos are great roasted and added to salsas. Try grilling them alongside your steaks or in kabobs.
When roasting these they should char, blister, and become soft. Try substituting these in your favorite chile recipes.
Ingredients:
12 oz chicken thighs, boned and skinned
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tsp corstarch paste
1 medium green bell pepper, cored and seeded
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
3-4 whole dried red chiles, soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 spring onion (scallion), cut into short sections
few small pieces of ginger, peeled
1 Tbsp sweet bean paste or Hoi Sin sauce
1 tsp chili bean paste
1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 cup roasted cashew nuts
few drops of sesame oil
Instructions:
Cut the chicken meat into small cubes each about the size of a sugar lump. In a bowl, mix together with the salt, egg white, and the cornstarch paste.
Cut the green bell pepper into cubes about the same size as the chicken. Heat oil in a preheated wok. Stir-fry the chicken cubes for about 1 minutes, or until the color changes, remove with a perforated spoon, and keep warm.
Add the green bell pepper, dried red chiles, spring onion, and ginger and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Then add the chicken with the bean pastes or sauce and wine or sherry. Blend well and cook for another minute. Finally, add the cashew nuts and sesame oil. Serve hot.
Serves 4.
From “Fire and Spice” cookbook, by Hsiung, Fernandez, and Wheeler