Takeout-style kung pao chicken
J. Kenji López-Alt · ♥ 6.6K likes · 311.7K views · 15 min video
Read about breast in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- chicken breast
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Dice chicken breast about three-quarter inch and marinate in a bowl with about 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, a little sesame oil, a dash of dark soy sauce and a splash of Shaoxing wine.
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- sesame oil
- dark soy sauce
- Shaoxing wine
- Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- sesame oil
Make the sauce: Shaoxing wine, about a teaspoon soy sauce, sesame oil, a little water (or chicken stock) and about a tablespoon distilled white vinegar.
- water
- 1 tbsp plain old distilled white vinegar
- cornstarch
Add a bit of cornstarch to the chicken and massage it in; separately mix a cornstarch slurry. Ideally rest the chicken at least 15 minutes.
The sauce and the slurry
- 2 stalks celery
- bell peppers
- hatch chili
- scallions
- sliced ginger
- Chinese Sichuan peppers
Cut a couple celery stalks on a bias, fillet and cut bell peppers and a hatch chili into similar three-quarter inch pieces, and cut scallions to match; group vegetables by cooking order.
- grapeseed oil
Heat a teeny bit of oil in the wok until it smokes, then add the rest of the oil so it does not burn and turn bitter.
Aromatics and mise en place
Stir-fry the chicken in its own batch, torching it between stirs for a smoky wok hei aroma, until mostly cooked; transfer to a bowl.
Reheat the oil to a light smoke, add a little fresh oil, then the ginger and chilies until toasty, then the vegetables, torching again; keep them crisp.
Chilies, ginger and the vegetables
- roasted peanuts
Return the chicken, add roasted peanuts, the sauce and the slurry; bring to a simmer and reduce to the wanted consistency.