Photo by Anil Sharma on Pexels
Kung Pao Chicken
The Sichuan stir-fry of velveted chicken, roasted peanuts and dried chillies in a glossy sweet, sour and savoury sauce, scented with Sichuan pepper.
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 4 tsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp groundnut oil
- 10 pc dried red chillies
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 pc garlic cloves
- 20 g root ginger
- 4 pc spring onions
- 75 g roasted unsalted peanuts
- 280 g long-grain rice
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Add to a shopping listHow the shopping list works →Marinate the chicken
- Step 1
Cut the chicken into 2cm cubes. Mix with 1 tablespoon of the light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon of the cornflour (that is 3 teaspoons) and 1 tablespoon of cold water until the pieces are coated and slightly sticky. Leave for 15 to 30 minutes. The cornflour coating keeps the chicken tender in the high heat of the wok.
Make the sauce and prepare
- Step 1
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, the remaining 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine, the black vinegar, dark soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon of cornflour and 3 tablespoons of water until the sugar and cornflour dissolve.
- Step 2
Snip the dried chillies into 2cm pieces with scissors, shaking out most of the seeds (leave more in for extra heat). Slice the garlic and ginger. Cut the spring onions into 2cm lengths, keeping the white and green parts separate. Stir-frying takes only a few minutes, so have everything beside the hob.
- Step 3
Boil the rice in plenty of salted water for 11 to 12 minutes, drain and leave covered until the stir-fry is ready.
Stir-fry
- Step 1
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until very hot, then add the oil. Add the chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir for 15 to 20 seconds, until the chillies darken slightly and smell toasty. Lift the pan off the heat for a moment if they brown fast, because burnt chillies make the dish bitter.
- Step 2
Add the chicken in a single layer and leave it for 30 seconds, then stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the pieces are sealed and nearly cooked through. Add the garlic, ginger and the white parts of the spring onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Step 3
Stir the sauce again, as the cornflour sinks, and pour it into the pan. Toss for about 1 minute, until it bubbles and thickens to a glossy coating and the chicken is cooked all the way through (cut one piece open to check).
- Step 4
Take the pan off the heat and stir through the peanuts and the green spring onion, so the peanuts stay crunchy. Serve at once with the rice. The chillies and peppercorns flavour the dish and are not meant to be eaten whole.
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