it wasn’t too long ago that I had my first real deal kung pao chicken. I always thought of it as an americanized mall food court dish, often too electric orange for comfort and mixed with an assortment of previously frozen vegetables (including the dreaded baby corn) note: fresh baby corn is actually amazing but really difficult to come by in north america
this real deal kung pao chicken is much closer to its original sichuan version. apart from being incredibly quick and simple to make, it’s sweet, salty, sour and spicy, with a distinctive ma-la / 麻辣 (numbing hot) sensation from the sichuan peppercorns. I’ve toned down the quantity of it in this version as I don’t like it to overpower.
a few main components of the dish are shaoxing wine and chinese black vinegar, both usually containing wheat. we’ve managed to hunt down wheat-free versions of both, but if you can’t find either, saké and rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar would be fine substitutes! feel free to adjust the spice level to your liking, but beware that dried bird’s eyes or arbols have some kick!
adapted from j.kenji lopez alt/serious eats
Makes 2 main portions
Ingredients
4 small boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced into small cubes
1 tbsp. saké or cooking wine
1 tbsp. gf tamari
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave)
2 tbsps. chinese black vinegar (substitute with balsamic or rice vinegar)
1 tbsp. saké or cooking wine
2 tsps. gf tamari
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
3 tbsps. neutral oil (I use avocado even though it’s unconventional, but it’s a healthy option and has a high smoke point)
4 small dried red chiles (bird’s eyes or arbol), snipped in 1-inch pieces with scissors *sub with 1 tsp. chili flakes
1/2 tsp. sichuan peppercorns, crushed (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch knob ginger, minced
2 stalks celery, sliced 1-cm thick on a bias, or 1 bell pepper, cut into 1-cm strips (optional)
3 green onions, roots removed, whites cut into 1/2 inch pieces, greens chopped for garnish
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Marinate chicken with ingredients from cooking wine to salt. Set aside.
Whisk together ingredients from sweetener to cornstarch and set aside.
In a large wok, preheat oil until just barely smoking. Toss in dried chiles and sichuan peppercorns and fry until aromatic, about 5-10 seconds. Add in garlic and ginger and sauté until aromatic, about 10-15 seconds. Add chicken and toss a couple times to brown. Add celery or bell pepper, green onion whites and peanuts, and continue tossing. Pour the reserved sauce into the wok and cook for 2 minutes, tossing vigorously. If the pan is looking dry, add a tablespoon or two of water.
Garnish with herbs and serve with white rice.