Kung Pao Chicken

This pulls together quickly if you are craving an authentic dish and want to prepare it at home. This is a perfect dupe of my favorite dish from Northampton.

CHICKEN INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 Chicken Thighs cut into strips
• 1 TB shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 TB Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, or corn starch

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup chicken bone broth (or water)
• 5 TBS Soy Sauce
• 2 TBS Chinese black vinegar (or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar)
• 2 TBS Chinese Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tsp molasses or dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp hoisin sauce
• 2 TBS sugar*
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, or corn starch

STIR FRY INGREDIENTS:

• 2-4 TBS Of Macadamia oil or Butter Divided
• 1 1/2 TBS garlic (4-6 cloves Optional)
• 1 TBS ginger
• 1 Red bell pepper (capsicum) seeded and diced
• 1 Green bell pepper (capsicum) seeded and diced
• 1-2 Celery Ribs Chopped
• 8-10 dried chilies cut into ½-inch pieces (adjust to taste, make sure to remove seeds or you will burn your mouth with fire)
• 1 TBS Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and ground**
• 4 green onion / scallion stems cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup roasted/unsalted peanuts
• 2 tsp sesame oil optional

PREPARE:

1. Combine all ingredients for the chicken in a shallow bowl; cover and marinate for 10 minutes (if time allows).
2. Whisk sauce ingredients together until sugar dissolves; set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet, pan or wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, allow to heat up, then add marinated chicken. Fry chicken for 3-4 minutes while occasionally stirring, until edges are browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Add remaining cooking oil into the same pan/wok. Stir in Peppers and Celery for a few minutes to soften.
5. Stir in garlic, ginger, chili diced peppers (capsicums) and Sichuan peppercorns and stir fry for 1 minute. 
6. Give the prepared sauce a mix, then pour it into the pan and bring it to a boil while stirring. 
7. Once it begins to thicken slightly, add chicken back into the pan/wok and mix all of the ingredients through the sauce until the chicken is evenly coated and sauce has thickened.
8. Stir in green onions, peanuts and sesame oil. Toss well and continue to for a minute or two to infuse the flavor. 
9. Serve with steamed Jasmine rice. 

NOTE:

Adjust spice to taste. Want it more spicy, keep some of the seeds from the dried chilies. Less spicy, use less and use less of the Sichuan peppercorns.