Kung Pao done right

[Tikiman]

1 pound chicken thighs - trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 sup water

2 tbsp peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
10 dried red chilis, cut in half - most seeds discarded
4 green onions, 3/4" pieces - white parts separated from the green
1 tbsp freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns
3/4 cup roasted peanuts


Mix cornstarch and soy sauce in mixing bowl until smooth. Then, mix in remaining sauce ingredients except the water. Pour 1.5 tbsp of the sauce over chicken and then add the water to the remaining sauce.

Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and chilis. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the chicken and cook until it turns white, then add the white part of the green onions. Cook until the chicken is cooked through - about three minutes. Add the sauce and the Sichuan pepper. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce is reduced to a thick syrup. Add the peanuts and the green parts of the onions and serve over hot rice.


Recipe note: Sichuan peppercorns are not really peppercorns. They are the dried citrus berries from the prickly elm bush. While they aren't really hot, they will make your mouth tingle and go numb. They are essential for the authenticity of this dish, and they are amazing.