Kung Pao Chicken

sugarpea's Note:

Not for the timid! No wimpy veggies in here, just hot chicken. You decide how hot. If you know you can't handle 8 cloves of garlic and 16 hot red peppers then please, adjust to your taste. And don't drink and cook, there's enough hot oil here, as my dad would have said, to burn your gizzard. This recipe is easily doubled to serve 16-32 at a buffet. If you decide to double, don't increase the oil. It's not needed.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 large whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• salt
• 1/4 cup black bean sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili paste with garlic
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry or 2 tablespoons shao-hsing wine
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened but not chopped
• 2 cups peanut oil or 2 cups vegetable oil or 2 cups corn oil
• 3/4 cup raw shelled and hulled fresh unsalted peanuts
• 16 -21 dried hot red chili peppers, cut in half

Directions:

1. Dice chicken into 3/4" cubes and combine with egg white, cornstarch and salt.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Combine next ingredients through garlic and set aside.
4. Heat oil in wok and when it is almost boiling hot but not smoking, turn heat off and add peanuts in a wire sieve so that it and the peanuts inside can be easily removed.
5. When peanuts turn golden remove from oil.
6. They will continue to cook from retained heat after being removed.
7. Don't burn them, they cook very quickly.
8. Turn heat back on and when oil is hot add chicken mixture.
9. Cook about 45 seconds until chicken is opaque but not browned.
10. Remove and drain the chicken on paper toweling.
11. Pour off all but 2 T of the oil from the wok.
12. Add peppers and cook about 15 seconds, they should be dark.
13. Add sauce and chicken and cook about 1 minute more.
14. Serve garnished with the peanuts.

Reviews

[cuppycakes]

We didn't like peanuts so we skipped those.

[Chef #472247]

this is avarage. My sister-in-law is Chinese and she does not put hoisin sauce in her recipe. I thought this one would be good, but I was wrong. Its nothing special. I will not make it again. Also, two cups of oil, does this make sense to anyone?

[vincentandkim]

The best Kung Pao recipe I've had!!! I used crushed peppers as well, and also used regular party peanuts, and skipped the frying. All I had was rice wine and it worked fine. We will definately use this recipe again. Thanks for sharing.