Mains
Kung pao chicken
Kung pao chicken is a Sichuan classic: diced chicken stir-fried with peanuts and whole dried chillies in a glossy sauce that's sour, sweet and savoury. The dried chillies flavour the oil rather than being eaten, so it's aromatic more than fiery.
Thunder Mountain grows long, thin pods that dry well on the plant or strung up in a warm, airy spot. Snip them in half before cooking to release more heat.
- Prep 20 min
- Cook 10 min
- Total 30 min
- Serves 4
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless chicken thighs, diced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 10 to 15 dried Thunder Mountain chillies, snipped in half, seeds shaken out
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 cm ginger, sliced
- 4 spring onions, cut into short lengths
- 80 g roasted peanuts
- Sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp black vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornflour, 3 tbsp water
Method
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Step 1
Marinate
Toss the chicken with the soy, Shaoxing wine and cornflour and leave for 10 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
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Step 2
Infuse
Heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat. Add the chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant and darkened, not burnt.
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Step 3
Fry
Turn up the heat, add the chicken and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through.
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Step 4
Finish
Add the garlic, ginger and spring onions for 1 minute, then pour in the sauce and toss until glossy. Stir in the peanuts and serve with rice.
Grow your own
The chillies in this recipe are easy to grow from seed in New Zealand.
