Gong Bao Ji Ding

Description

Chicken with peanuts. A Sichuan dish that is famous internationally, especially in the U.S.A as Kung Pow Chicken.

Gong Bao Ji Ding (Kung Pow Chicken)

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast, cubed
• ~ ¼ cup roasted, salted peanuts
• 1 tbsp red chilli, diced
• ½ tsp Sichuan red peppers (hua jiao), whole
• 1 tbsp ginger or garlic (use one or the other, ginger is more traditional), minced/finely diced
• 1 small to medium red pepper (capsicum), diced
• 1 medium cucumber, cubed
• Spring onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar (1 tbsp can be switched for sherry/rice wine if preferred)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp msg (optional!)
• 3 tbsp cornflour mixed with water (roughly 1:1 ratio)
• extra 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with water (1:1 ratio)
• 1-2 tbsp water
• ALOT of oil!

Directions

1. Rub chicken through extra cornflour and ensure lightly coated.
2. Fill a wok with oil in the same manner you would to deep fry.
3. Crank the height to high and wait until oil is well and truly bubbling away, then add peppers and cucumber.
4. Let fry for around 15 seconds (it should bubble very hard), softly moving, then add the chicken.
5. Allow to continue frying for approximately 1-2 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through (very quickly in hot oil).
6. Remove all from oil and hold separately, draining.
7. Put hot oil somewhere safe to be reused for frying at a later date, or ready a second wok.
8. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in wok, add chillis and Sichuan red peppercorns, stir for a few seconds, then add water, soy sauce, vinegar/sherry, salt, sugar, ginger (and msg) and mix quickly together.
9. Reduce the heat to low and stir in cornflour until sauce thickens.
10. Toss chicken, vegetables and peanuts through sauce very briefly to heat and serve immediately.