December 24, 2020

Kung Pao Chicken

Everybody was kung pao fighting.. ok, I’ll stop. My sister and I debated over how much vinegar was the right amount. I felt like 1 tbsp was a little too vinegar-y, she thought it was perfect and has requested that I *only* make it for her with 1 tbsp instead of 1/2 -insert eyeroll-. I listed 1/2 tbsp in the recipe below because I think most people would prefer something a little less tart but adjust based on your palette!

This serves ~2 people as a side or 1 person as a full meal. You can always add more vegetables than the below to make it a standalone meal.

Ingredients

Chicken:
  • 1 large chicken breast (~8-10 oz) cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 2 tsp each of corn starch, shaoxing wine, and soy sauce
Aromatics and Veg:
  • 1 tsp crushed sichuan peppercorns (I give them a minute in a mortar pestle)
  • 2 scallions cut into 1 inch pieces, separate whites and greens
  • 1/4 inch piece ginger, sliced into strips
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 6 dried chili peppers, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup nuts, such as peanuts, cashews, pecans
  • 1 zucchini or alt veg such as celery, red bell peppers, brussel sprouts cut into 3/4 inch pieces
Kung Pao Sauce – mix all of the below together:
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp black vinegar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 3 tbsp water

Directions:

  • Mix chicken with soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and cornstarch and marinate for 30 minutes
  • Mix together kung pao sauce and set aside
  • Heat up oil (~2 tbsp) in a pan or wok over medium heat and cook the chicken until fully cooked ~5 minutes
  • Remove chicken from pan and wipe down the pan/rinse if needed
  • Heat up additional oil over medium heat and add in crushed sichuan peppercorns and dried chilis and saute for a minute until the peppercorns start to become fragrant. Then add in scallion whites, ginger, and garlic and cook for another minute.
  • Add zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes until the zucchini starts to soften. Stir in the chicken.
  • Give the sauce a good stir to loosen up the cornstarch that’s separated and stir in, cooking for another minute.
  • Turn off the heat and mix in scallion greens and nuts