Kung Pao chicken recipe
The Kung Pao chicken is a speedy spin on the Sichuan classic. Get everything ready, Blue Peter-style, before you start stir-frying. It cooks fast. I love serving this dish with rice but you could just as well also have it with noodles.
Timings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves
Four
Ingredients
320g rice
600g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp rice wine
3 tsp light soy sauce
1½ tsp cornflour
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp groundnut oil
40g peanuts
4 spring onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5cm piece ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
2 tsp chilli flakes – use 1 if you don’t like it too hot
200g pak choi, cut into quarters
Method
Cook the rice according to the packet instructions until tender. Drain and then leave to steam in the colander.
Meanwhile, put the chicken into a bowl and add the rice wine, two teaspoons of light soy and a teaspoon cornflour. Mix well and set to one side while you make the sauce, by combining the remaining light soy and cornflour with the dark soy, vinegar and four tablespoons of water.
Heat a large wok over a high heat until smoking. Add a tablespoon of the oil and swirl it around. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 8-10 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove from the wok and set to one side.
Reheat the wok over a high heat with the remaining oil. Chuck in the peanuts and spring onions, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until a little golden. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Finally add the Sichuan pepper and chilli flakes. Mix well.
Add the chicken back into the wok and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes to reheat, then pour in the sauce. Continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until it coats the chicken and looks super-glossy. Meanwhile, cook the pak choi in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, until tender, and drain well. Serve immediately with the cooked chicken and rice.
