Kung Pao chicken

This is based on a Williams-Sonoma recipe and a Cook's Illustrated recipe, squished together and much revised.

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chili paste with garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Combine the cornstarch and chicken broth in a measuring cup and whisk well to dissolve cornstarch. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the measuring cup and stir well. Set aside, leaving the whisk in the cup for later.

For the marinade:
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine the sherry, soy sauce, garlic powder, egg white, and cornstarch in a large bowl, and whisk well to dissolve the cornstarch.

For the chicken:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2-3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
6-8 dried red chili peppers
1 cup raw unsalted cashews (you can use roasted unsalted peanuts instead, but cashews are better)
1 cup snow peas, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

Add the chicken pieces to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside for a few minutes at room temperature. (I usually do this while I'm putting the sauce together.)

Get all of your ingredients together: the measuring cup with the sauce (and the whisk), the chicken pieces in the marinade, a small bowl with the chilies and cashews, and a small bowl with the ginger, garlic, and green onions.

In a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil; swirl to coat the sides of the pan. When the oil is hot (shimmering but not quite smoking), add the chilies and cashews; stir and toss every 10-15 seconds until the cashews are golden brown and the chilies are dark red, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Add the snow peas to the pan. (There should still be a little oil in there; if there isn't, put in another teaspoon or so.) Toss for about a minute, or until the peas just start to cook.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the chicken; stir and toss every 15-20 seconds until the chicken is golden-brown. If you have a large wok or frying pan, you can do this in one batch; otherwise, do it in two batches, adding more oil and reheating the pan between batches. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl.

Add ginger, garlic, and green onions to the pan and drizzle with a little oil. Mash them into the bottom of the pan with a spatula or wooden spoon and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chilies, cashews, and chicken back to the pan and stir to combine. Stir the sauce and add it to the pan; then cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Serve over steamed rice.

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Last updated 24 April 2005.
All text and photographs © George Mitchell and Margaret Johnston, unless otherwise noted
Comments, questions, suggestions to margaret@lonelymountain.net.