Real-Deal Kung Pal Chicken
A small, extremely hot chile, the Chile Pequin registers a fiery 9 out of 10 on the chile heat scale. This orange and red chile has a light, sweet and somewhat nutty flavor. Easily crushed and sprinkled on beans, salsas, and other Latin dishes, Chile Pequin can also add a mildly volcanic zest to soups, sauces and vinegars.
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
450 grams (1 pound) boneless skinless chicken breast (*footnote 1)
Marinade:
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon oil
Sauce:
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir-fry:
3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
(Optional) 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) (*footnote 2)
1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorn
5 to 6 red dried red chile peppers
5 to 6 green onion, coarsely chopped (yields one cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
(Optional) 1 bell pepper, diced (*footnote 3)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
INSTRUCTIONS
Dice chicken into 1.5-cm (3/4-inch) chunks.
Combine chicken, soy sauce, cornstarch, and oil in a small bowl. Mix well by hand and let marinate for at least 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Swirl the wok and let oil coat the bottom of the wok.
When the oil just starts to smoke, spread chicken in a layer and cook for 20 to 30 seconds without moving it. Swirl in Shaoxing wine. Cook and stir until the chicken turns just white on the surface and the inside is still slightly raw. Turn to medium low heat and immediately transfer chicken to a plate.
There should be still about 1 tablespoon of hot oil left in the pan. If not, add more oil.
Add Sichuan peppercorns into the wok. Cook until the color turns dark brown, but not burnt. Remove the peppercorns with a spatula and save for later use. To serve the dish Chinese style, leave Sichuan peppercorn in.
Add chili peppers, white parts of the green onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir a few times until fragrant. Mix the sauce again so that cornstarch dissolves completely. Swirl in sauce. Add chicken back into the wok and turn to medium heat. Quickly stir and toss a few times. The sauce should thicken immediately. Add bell pepper and roasted peanuts. Stir again to mix well.
Immediately transfer to a plate. Garnish with the green part of the green onion. Serve warm with steamed white rice.
NOTES
1. The Szechuan style Kung Pao chicken always uses chicken breast. You can use skinless, boneless thigh as well. The dish will end up with a slightly different texture.
2. Adding wine during the stir-fry instead of blending it into the sauce adds a dimension of flavor. This step is very similar to adding alcohol to deglaze a pan after pan frying. If you do not want alcohol in your dish, you can skip this step.
3. Some Chinese restaurants do not add other vegetables into this dish. Some restaurants use cucumber. You can choose to add a bell pepper just to make the meal more balanced.