Kung Pao Chicken with Peanuts (Gong Bao Ji Ding)

Please find the recipe and pictures on Feeding Fen

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts or thighs (about 300g)

• 3 garlic cloves

• An equivalent amount of ginger

• 5 spring onions - whites only

• 10 dried chillies or 3 tbsp crushed chilli flakes

• 1tsp whole Sichuan pepper

• 75g peanuts

For the Marinade

• 1/2tsp salt

• 2tsp light soy sauce

• 1tsp Shaoxing wine

• 1 1/2tsp potato flour

For the Sauce

• 1tbsp caster sugar

• 3/4tsp potato flour

• 1tsp dark soy sauce

• 1tsp light soy sauce

• 1tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

• 1tsp sesame oil

• 1tbsp chicken stock or water

Cooking Method

• Cut the chicken into 1.5cm strips, then cut again into equal cubes. Put in a small bowl and add the marinade plus 1tbsp of water. Set aside and prepare the other ingredients

• For the peanuts, preheat an oven 120°C/gas mark 1/2. Spread out the raw peanuts onto an oven tray and roast for 15 minutes until fragrant. Place on a plate to cool, then rub between your fingers to loosen the skins. Shake them as you blow on them - the skins should flake away

• Peel and thinly slice the garlic and ginger, and chop the spring onions into little equal-sized cubes (to match the chicken). Cut the chillies in half or into smaller pieces. Combine the sauce ingredients into a bowl

• Heat a wok over a high flame and add the oil, chillies and Sichuan pepper. Stir-fry briefly until the chillies have darkened, but be careful not to burn

• Add the chicken and stir-fry over a high flame until the cubes have separated

• Add the ginger, garlic, and spring onions, and continue to stir-fry until the meat is cooked

• Stir the sauce then add to the wok. Continue to stir-fry until the sauce is thick, then add the peanuts, stir and serve

bon appetit