Kung pao chicken

Hi guys , how's 2014 treating so far ?

Any broken resolutions yet ? 

Me ? Good thing I didn't make any lol

So for my first post this year , I'll give you this spicy dish .

I borrowed ( of course ! )  this book from the library ( where else ? ) more than two months ago and so far I've only made the chilli-garlic sauce recipe until now . 

Kung pao chicken is a Sichuanese dish made of chicken , chillies , peanuts and Sichuan peppercorns . This dish is relatively mild as long as you stay away from the chillies . Much as I love chili-garlic sauce , I shudder at the thought of eating whole chillies ! Same goes with the Sichuan peppercorns , I love the aroma and the flavor it imparts to this dish but eating it accidentally ? Yikes ! I had to pick them diligently and chucked them . 

That pesky matter side , if you want to try this dish , you should , you know , as it was quiet delicious , before adding in the chicken , throw out more than half of the fried Sichuan peppercorns first or grind it before frying . Or you gonna spend your time , just like me , hunting for those small seeds ! 

Do you like spicy food ? 

Recipe adapted from Two Asian Kitchens : Recipes from Australia's Master Chef  

My modification in green 

80 grams peanuts plus extra for garnish

2 chicken breast , cut into 1.5 cm cubes 420 grams boneless chicken thigh with skin on , 1-inch cubes

12 large chillies or 15-20 small ones

2 tablespoons oil for frying

2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns

2 garlic cloves , crushed

1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons 

1 bunch spring onion , white part only , cut into 1.5 cm lengths 70 grams ( 1-inch ) plus extra leaves for garnish

For the sauce :

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

60 ml chicken broth or water

1 teaspoon cornflour tapioca starch

* Place peanuts on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven ( 180° ) for few minutes until golden . Set aside . 

* Marinate chicken in 1 tablespoon light soy sauce , 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine / sherry or mirin , a dash of ground white pepper and 1 teaspoon cornflour .

* Remove stalks from chillies and shake out the seeds . If using larges chillies , cut then into chunks , if using small ones , leave them whole . In a large pan or a wok , heat oil over medium heat , add the chiliies and the peppercorns . Stir-fry for just a few seconds until peppercorn pop and chillies crisps . 

* Add the chicken to the pan , cook until lightly-browned . Add the garlic , ginger and the spring onions and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes 4-5 minutes ( take care not to overcook the chicken breast or it'll be dry ) . Add the sauce  and stir for a minute or so until thickened and glossy . Stir in the peanuts and serve .