Kung Pao Chicken, the Authentic Way (宫保鸡丁)

Method11 steps · about 16 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Before heating the wok, halve and deseed the ten dried chillies. Wash the six scallions, cut their stems into chunks and reserve the leafy tops for another dish. Peel and slice the three garlic cloves and have eight ginger slices ready. On a separate clean board, cut the raw chicken thighs into about 2 cm cubes and put all the cubes into a bowl. Clean the board and utensils after handling raw chicken.

   Uses All 11 oz raw chicken thighs · All 10 dried chillies · All 6 scallion stalks, using their stems · All 3 garlic cloves · All 8 ginger slices · Separate water for washing scallions

2. 2

   Step 2: Add the 1 tsp marinade cornstarch and its separate 1 tbsp water to the chicken cubes. Mix until the chicken absorbs the liquid and no free liquid remains in the bowl.

   Uses All chicken cubes prepared in step 1, separate from the aromatics · 1 tsp marinade cornstarch · 1 tbsp marinade water

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Add the 1 tsp sesame oil and stir to coat all the chicken evenly. Keep this marinated raw chicken refrigerated while preparing the nuts and sauce; bring it out when ready to stir-fry.

   Uses All coated raw chicken from step 2 · 1 tsp marinade sesame oil

4. 4

   Step 4: Put all the peanuts into a dry pan over low heat. Stir from time to time so they toast evenly, watching for a light-brown colour.

   Uses All ⅓ cup peanuts

5. 5

   Step 5: Remove the peanuts from the heat as soon as they are lightly browned. Transfer them to a plate to cool, keeping them ready to add at the very end.

   Uses All lightly toasted peanuts from step 4

6. 6

   Step 6: Mix the light and dark soy sauces (1 tsp), black rice vinegar (1½ tbsp), Shaoxing wine, sugar (2 tsp), 2 tsp sauce cornstarch and its separate 1 tbsp water in a bowl until combined. Have this sauce and all the prepared aromatics beside the wok before frying.

   Uses 1 tsp light soy sauce · 1 tsp dark soy sauce · 1½ tbsp black rice vinegar · 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine · 2 tsp sugar · 2 tsp sauce cornstarch · Separate 1 tbsp sauce water

7. 7

   Step 7: Heat the wok over high heat and pour in all 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil. Add the prepared dried chilli halves and whole Sichuan peppercorns. Watch closely and move straight to the chicken as soon as the spices smell fragrant, while the chillies are still red, before they burn.

   Uses All 2 tbsp neutral wok oil · All ten dried chillies halved and deseeded in step 1 · All 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns

8. 8

   Step 8: Immediately add all the marinated chicken to the fragrant spice oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds, keeping the pieces moving. Then add the prepared aromatics in the next step.

   Add the prepared scallion, garlic and ginger · 1 minUses All fragrant oil and spices from step 7 · All marinated chicken from step 3

9. 9

   Step 9: Add all the prepared scallion stem chunks, garlic and ginger. Continue stir-frying until the chicken is fully cooked, with no pink centre, reaching at least 74°C / 165°F in the thickest pieces. Keep stirring and stop once it is cooked so it stays tender.

   Uses The complete chicken and spice-oil wok from step 8 · All stem chunks from six scallions, three sliced garlic cloves and eight ginger slices prepared in step 1

10. 10

    Step 10: Stir the sauce well again so its cornstarch is suspended, then pour it all into the wok. Stir to coat the cooked chicken evenly. The sauce usually thickens in about 20 seconds; turn off the heat as soon as it clings to the chicken.

    Check whether the Kung Pao sauce has thickened · 1 minUses All cooked chicken, aromatics and spices from step 9 · All sauce mixed in step 6

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Off the heat, stir in all the toasted peanuts so they stay crisp. Dish out immediately as two portions, with optional separately cooked plain rice. The dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns flavour the dish and can be left on the plate rather than eaten.

    Uses The complete sauced chicken from step 10 · All toasted peanuts cooled in step 5 · Optional plain rice, already cooked separately