Another Kung Pao Post Prior To The Beginning of Outdoor Season!

The world's greatest dish isn't just a tasty entree, it also has a fine backstory.  Or two....

From philoskitchen.com

The first version of the story tells of the Sichuan governor wander the region dressed up like a farmer to understand better the real needs of his people. After an intense day’s walk, Ding Bao decided to stop to have a dinner in a small and simple inn. Watching the modesty of the place where he was, the expectation of the Governor were very small. But, once the dish arrived on the table, and he tried on the first bite, he changes his mind immediately: the skepticism turned into astonishment! Ding Bao was so pleased of that spiced and creamy chicken sauté to hire the cook of the inn as his personal chef.

 The second tale narrates of a young Ding Bao drowning in a river of the Sichuan region, and of a man diving into the water, and saving the future governor. Years later, Ding Bao went to seeking out the man he owed his life. Thankful for this visit, the man invited the Governor to dine with his family, preparing what it would become the Kung Pao chicken. Also in this version of the story, Ding Bao was so impressed by the dish to hire the man immediately as his personal chef!

KUNG PAO CHICKEN RECIPE & HISTORY - all you need to know!

 

Prep time

45 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Author: Filippo Trapella - philosokitchen.com

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Chinese

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Lb (900 g) chicken thighs or breast
• 1/3 cup (50 g) dried peanuts (western version: roasted peanuts)
• 12 spring onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp ginger root, grated
• 6 tbsp peanuts oil
• 1 cup (235 g) chicken broth
• 1 tbsp dark rice vinegar (western version: white vinegar)
• 6 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 6 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 tbsp Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine (western version: Sherry)
• 10 whole dried Chinese chili peppers
• 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper (western version: black pepper)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

1. CHICKEN MARINATE
   First, combine 4 tbsp of dark soy sauce, and 4 tbsp of light soy sauce, and 4 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing Hua Diao), then whisk. Now, add 1 tbsp of sifted cornstarch and whisk until consistent without any lumps. Finally, cut the chicken into dices and pour them into the sauce. Wrap the bowl and store in the fridge 30 minutes.
2. FRIED PEANUTS
   If you opt for roasted peanuts, just skip this step. Otherwise, pour the peanuts oil into a wok and place over medium/high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoky, fry the peanuts until golden brown, stirring frequently. Once ready, raise the peanuts from the oil and dry over paper towels. Save the peanuts oil for the next step.
3. KUNG PAO SAUCE
   Peel the cloves of garlic and crush them lightly maintaining their shape. After that, combine 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce, and 2 tbsp of light soy sauce, and 2 tbsp of grated ginger root, and 1 tsp of brown sugar. Now re-heat the oil in the wok and saute the garlic until pale golden. After that, add the Sichuan pepper and Chinese chili peppers. Stir-fry a couple of minutes more, then add the soy and ginger mixture. Cook about 5 mins more.
4. KUNG PAO CHICKEN
   Divide the white part of spring onions from the green part. After that, cut the white parts in half. Reduce a few of green stems into rounds, just to obtain 2 tbsp of greens.
5. Now, pour the chicken, and marinate, and white parts of the spring onions into the Kung Pao sauce. Stir-fry the chicken 8 mins over high heat, adding the chicken broth a few tbsp at a time. The result have to be creamy, not watery. Finally, baste with dark vinegar and add the fried peanuts. Stir-fry 2 minutes more, then garnish with green onion rounds and serve hot.