Kung Pao Chicken, a very quick and easy Chinese recipe
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Total: 40 min Diners: 4
Ready for high temperatures? Because this Chinese chicken stir-fry gives no respite, we are talking about a spicy and explosive dish that, if well done will also have to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a silky sauce full of flavor.
The first step involved in this recipe is the marinating of the chicken to get a velvet effect with it, a technique that is widely practiced in China. The chicken is marinated in a mixture of cornstarch, baking soda and Chinese vinegar (black vinegar) or rice vinegar and this will not only give it a special flavor, but the mixture will act as a protective layer of chicken when cooking and then we will get to keep its juices inside in a more persistent way; being golden and crispy on the outside. It will not be dry!
Once this is achieved, the next challenge will be to prepare the Kung Pao sauce for our chicken, a very easy to prepare sauce that has to be ready before starting to sauté the chicken in the wok or in a large frying pan over high heat. When the chicken is already well browned it will be time to add the sauce to the wok and watch as it starts to bubble and coat each piece of chicken perfectly.
For a perfect Kung Pao sauce we will need chicken broth (always replaceable by water if we do not have it, but we will lose flavor), soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Chinese black vinegar (or some balsamic vinegar that you have on hand if you do not want to go to the Chinese supermarket) and Chinese wine shaoxing type that you could replace with rice vinegar or sushi vinegar.
What else? Peppers, peanuts, garlic… and plenty of hot peppers. In theory those of Sichuan, which is the hottest Chinese region, but we could also use a dried Mexican chile de árbol or even our own cayenne. We will have to incorporate spicy to taste, this spiciness will clash with the sweetness and smoothness of the sauce.
Of course, this recipe can also be made with pieces of beef or pork, always recommending some tender part of both, although the best known for it is to use chicken. As a recommendation, use chicken thighs because they stay juicier more easily than the breast.
How to make Kung Pao chicken at home
Ingredients
. Chicken breast or chicken thighs, 400 g Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Baking soda, 2 teaspoons Cornstarch (cornstarch), 1 teaspoon Chinese shaoxing or sherry or rice wine, 1 tablespoon Salt, c/s
For the sauce
Chicken broth, 100 ml Soy sauce, 5 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar, 1 tablespoon Chinese or rice wine, 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon Sugar, 1 teaspoon Cornstarch (cornstarch), 1 teaspoon
For the sauce
Chicken broth, 100 ml Soy sauce, 5 tablespoons Black Chinese vinegar, 1 tablespoon Chinese or rice wine, 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon Sugar, 1 teaspoon Cornstarch (cornstarch), 1 teaspoon
For the stir-fry
Mild olive oil, 3 tablespoons Garlic cloves, 3 pc Chopped fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon Red bell pepper, 1/2 pc Shallot, 2 pc Dried chilies, 10 pc Sichuan pepper, 4 balls Fried peanuts, 40 g Chinese onion, 2 pc Sesame oil, 1 teaspoon
Step 1
Mix the chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and marinate covered in the bowl for approximately 10 minutes.
Step 2
Mix all the Kung Pao sauce ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved and there are no crystals.
Step 3
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat and add a few drops of oil, let it heat up and then add the lightly drained marinated chicken. Sauté the chicken over high heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Step 4
Add a little more oil and sauté the garlic and ginger over a lower heat and then also the chilies, red bell pepper, chopped shallot and Sichuan pepper previously crushed lightly in a mortar. Fry for 1 minute.
Step 5
Add the sauce to the pan, allow it to deglaze well and bring to the boil over a gentle heat. It will have to be taking body and thickening, this will happen by condensation and also by the effect of sugars.
Step 6
When the sauce has already thickened add the chicken again and let everything mix well, about 2 minutes. At the last moment it will be the turn of the Chinese chives, peanuts and sesame oil. Serve immediately.
