Kung Pao Chicken

Gongbao Jiding (宫保鸡丁)

Classic, authentic Kung Pao Chicken. Send your taste buds on a journey to Sichuan with this sweet and sour chicken dish. Simple yet satisfying - authentic Kung Pao Chicken is easy to make, but difficult to stop eating.

Unlike many Sichuan dishes, Kung Pao Chicken is NOT meant to be spicy!

There is a slight heat from the chilies, but this should not overpower the dish or take focus from the other flavors. Kung Pao Chicken is all about balance. This decadent dish has layers of depth beyond the sweet and sour - aromatic ginger and garlic, subtly spicy chilies, crunchy peanuts, and crisp, cooling cucumber. Each element is used to compliment the others and no one flavor should overpower the others.

Even the color of this dish has balance between green and red. The goal is to have some green vegetables contrast with the red chilies. Traditionally, this green comes from Scallion. Of which, there are three main varieties: Small Scallion, Fragrant Scallion, and Big Scallion. The best of these, in my opinion, is Small Scallion (小葱), which adds a touch of Scallion flavor without being overwhelming. I would advise against Fragrant Scallion (香葱; i.e., regular Green Onion), as its flavor can easily overpower others. However, this is more of a personal preference as Fragrant Scallion is commonly used for traditional Kung Pao Chicken. Big Scallion (大葱) can also be used, but because the large pieces don’t match the size of the Chicken, it’s not quite as appealing.

When making the following recipe, which is based on the best Kung Pao Chicken that I have eaten in China, I often omit Scallion completely. The green instead comes from Cucumber, which adds a unique subtle flavor that balances perfectly with the Kung Pao Sauce. Celtuce (莴笋) also could be cooked in a similar manner to Cucumber. Another great substitution would be Garlic Sprouts (蒜苗) which have a milder flavor than Scallion. However, vegetables like broccoli, onion, and green bell pepper are NEVER used for Kung Pao Chicken in China.

You'll notice in this recipe a two-stage cooking process.Part one is deep frying the Chicken and part two is stir-frying the Chicken. This two-stage process is common for authentic Sichuan cooking and extremely important. However, most non-authentic Sichuan chicken recipes, especially those for Kung Pao Chicken, abandon this method for simply stir-frying all the ingredients together at once... sometimes using only a skillet.

Deep frying the chicken before stir-frying will:

• prevent the stir-fry from becoming soupy,
• reduce the risk of burning the chilies and aromatics,
• ensure the chicken is cooked thoroughly,
• allow you to use vegetables without cooking them to mush,
• and better control the thickness of the sauce.

The only time it is somewhat acceptable to use a one-stage stir-frying process is when using a high-powered wok burner. But owing to the aforementioned reasons, it’s still more practical and precise to use a two-stage cooking method. This will guarantee the Chicken Bits are still tender, the Veggies are still a bit crisp, and Aromatics like Scallion are still fresh and not wilted.

You may have noticed I just used the term Chicken Bits (鸡丁). This is the specific size in which Chicken should be cut for the following recipe. The Chicken should be cut into cubes each about 1/2-inch or 1-inch in size. Think about it being the size of your pinkie tip or about the size of your thumb tip – so quite small and much smaller than Chicken is often cut for western stir-fry dishes. For most dishes, 1-inch cubes work great. For Kung Pao Chicken, however, I would recommend the smallest size at about half an inch, which is roughly the same size as six-sided die.

Finally, any cut of boneless Chicken can be used. The following dish works great with both Chicken Thighs and Chicken Breasts. Though I would always recommend dark meat even for Kung Pao Chicken, which is traditionally made with white meat. Chicken Thighs simply taste better and are easier to cook. The amount of Chicken needed should be about equal to that of two whole Chicken Legs. So, if using boneless skinless Thighs, you may need to add half to one additional Chicken Thigh to equal this amount.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 20 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted Peanuts

Chicken
2 1/2 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs (OR 2 whole Chicken Legs de-boned; skin optional. OR 2 large Chicken Breasts)

Marinade
2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper
1 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Chilies
1/2 cup of 1-inch-pieces of Dried Red Chilies (About 5 – 10 grams)
1 tsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns (About 2 – 3 grams)

Aromatics
2 cloves of Garlic
1 1-inch-cube of Ginger

Green Vegetable (Optional; Can be Replaced with Scallion)
1/2 of a Chinese Cucumber
(OR 1/2 of a Celtuce Stem 莴笋)

Scallions (Optional; Can be Replaced with Green Vegetable)
1 – 3 bunches of Small Scallion (小葱)
(OR 1 bundle of Scallion 香葱; OR 1 stalk of Big Scallion 大葱)

Sauce
2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
2 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Chinkiang Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper
2 – 3 tsp. Corn Starch

Peanut Oil (Enough for Deep Frying)

Directions

1.) Toast the Peanuts for a few seconds in a dry wok to bring out their flavor. Set these aside in a bowl for later.

2.) Wash the Chicken thoroughly. Cut the Chicken into 1/2-inch strips and then cut these strips into small 1/2-inch cubes.

(I've found the best size is roughly the same size as standard six-sided dice. This is a Chicken Bits 鸡丁 recipe and not one for Chicken Bites 鸡块. The largest size should be roughly that of your thumb tip and the smallest should be that of your pinkie tip).

3.) Place the Chicken in a large bowl and add the Marinade (Rice Wine, Dark Soy Sauce, Salt, Pepper, and Corn Starch). Mix thoroughly by hand until the Marinade has been absorbed and allow the Chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes and up to half an hour.

(You can optionally add a few tablespoons of Peanut Oil which will help to prevent the Chicken pieces from sticking together when frying).

4.) Snip the Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces and remove most of the seeds. Place the Chilies in a small bowl along with the Sichuan Peppercorns. This will be the bowl for Chilies.

5.) Peel and thinly slice the Garlic and Ginger. Place them together in a bowl for Aromatics.

(For the Ginger, it can be cut a couple different ways depending on the aesthetic preference of the cook. The first is by slicing it in a similar manner to the Garlic. The second is by cutting it into 1/4-inch x 1-inch sticks. Third, and my favorite, is by slicing the Ginger into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch squares).

6.) Prepare the chosen Green Vegetable, placing the cut pieces in a bowl. Skip this step if using Scallion instead.

• Chinese Cucumber: Wash the Cucumber and slice it lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips. Cut these strips into 1/2-inch cubes and set them aside in a bowl. (The size should match the Chicken. Chinese Cucumber has low moisture and water, so if using other types of Cucumber discard any wet, mushy parts and sprinkle the cubes with salt to extract water. Before stir-frying, rinse the pieces with water and pat them dry with a paper towels).
• Celtuce: Remove the tough outer hull, leaving behind the tender green core. Cut the Celtuce into 1/2-inch strips and then into 1/2-inch cubes. Sprinkle the cubes with salt and set them aside in a bowl. Before stir-frying, rinse off the cubes, wring out any excess water, and pat them dry with paper towels.

7.) Prepare the chosen Scallion, placing the cut pieces in a bowl. Skip this step if using Green Vegetable instead.

• Small Scallion (小葱): Separate the white stalks from the green stalks. Cut the white stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the green stalks into 1-inch or 2-inch pieces, depending on preference, and set them aside in a separate bowl from the white pieces. The white pieces can be stir-fried with the Aromatics but the green pieces must be added at the very end along with the Peanuts.
• Fragrant Scallion (香葱): Separate the white stalks from the green stalks. Cut the white stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the green stalks into 2-inch pieces and set them aside in a separate bowl from the white pieces. The white pieces can be stir-fried with the Aromatics but the green pieces must be added at the very end along with the Peanuts.
• Big Scallion (大葱): Only the white part should be cut. Slice the white stalks into 1/2-inch or 1-inch pieces. Stir-fry these along with the Aromatics.

8.) Thoroughly combine all of the Sauce ingredients (Rice Wine, Light Soy Sauce, Black Vinegar, Dark Soy Sauce, Sugar, MSG, Chicken Bouillon, White Pepper, and Corn Starch) in a bowl.

9.) Fill a seasoned wok at least 1/3 full, but no more than 1/2 full, with Peanut Oil for deep frying and heat on medium-high. Add the Chicken to the wok and deep fry for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly until golden.

(If not using a high-powered wok burner, use plenty of Oil at a very high heat! Always use a wok or large pot. DO NOT attempt in a skillet. When the Chicken is added the water will instantly evaporate and bubble away, so be aware of your wok's Oil level).

10.) Pour the Chicken into a wire strainer set over a large pot to quickly drain the Oil. Return about 1/4 cup of Oil back to the wok and heat on medium-high until nearly smoking.

11.) Pull the wok away from heat, add the Chilies, and stir-fry just a few seconds until fragrant. Then, add the Aromatics and stir-fry again just a few seconds until fragrant.

(Be careful not to burn the Chilies and Aromatics. Lift the wok away from the heat and use your nose; they’ll only take a second to cook. White pieces of Scallion would be added along with the Aromatics if using them instead of a Green Vegetable).

12.) Add the Green Vegetable, return the wok to heat, and cook the cubes for about 15 to 30 seconds.

(If not using a Green Vegetable, simply skip this step and return the wok to heat after adding the Chicken).

13.) Add the Chicken to the wok and stir-fry the cubes another 15 to 20 seconds until all the flavors have been incorporated.

14.) Pour in the Sauce and mix thoroughly, allowing the Sauce to thicken slightly, which will happen rather fast so move quickly.

15.) Cut off the heat, add the Peanuts and green stalks of Scallion (if using), and mix one last time, tossing the ingredients together.

Serving Instructions: Plate the Chicken on a platter and serve alongside individual bowls of white rice. In Sichuan, Kung Pao Chicken is shared with the entire table. Communal chopsticks and serving spoons allow guests to serve themselves. Kung Pao Chicken is not served on top of rice like at a cheap American fast-food restaurant.

 

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