Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken

🥘 Ingredients

• Chinkiang vinegar
  2 tbsp
• Shaoxing wine
  4 tsp
• Sichuan peppercorns
  1 tsp
• boneless skinless chicken breasts
  2 small
• cornstarch
  2.5 tsp
• dried red chiles
  6 to 12
• garlic (thinly sliced)
  4 medium cloves
• ginger (peeled and cut into fine matchsticks or grated)
  1 inch knob
• honey
  1 tbsp
• kosher salt
  1 pinch
• light soy sauce
  4 tsp
• roasted peanuts
  3/4 c
• scallions (white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
  6
• vegetable oil
  3 tbsp
• water
  1 tbsp

🍳 Cookware

• wok
• skillet

1. 1

   Combine boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1/2-inch cubes), Shaoxing wine , light soy sauce , cornstarch , and kosher salt in a small bowl.

   boneless skinless chicken breasts: 2 small, Shaoxing wine: 1 tsp, light soy sauce: 2 tsp, cornstarch: 2 tsp, kosher salt: 1 pinch
2. 2

   Turn until well mixed and chicken is evenly coated in a thin film of the cornstarch paste.
3. 3

   Set aside.
4. 4

   Combine honey , Chinkiang vinegar , Shaoxing wine , light soy sauce , and cornstarch in a small bowl.

   honey: 1 tbsp, Chinkiang vinegar: 2 tbsp, Shaoxing wine: 1 tbsp, light soy sauce: 2 tsp, cornstarch: 1/2 tsp
5. 5

   Stir together with a fork until no clumps of cornstarch remain.
6. 6

   Pour a small amount of vegetable oil into the bottom of a wok or skillet .

   vegetable oil: 3 tbsp
7. 7

   Rub around with a paper towel.
8. 8

   Place over high heat and preheat until smoking.
9. 9

   Add remaining oil and immediately add dried red chiles (stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces with scissors, seeds discarded) and Sichuan peppercorns (reddish husks only, stems and black seeds discarded).

   dried red chiles: 6 to 12, Sichuan peppercorns: 1 tsp
10. 10

    Stir-fry until fragrant but not burnt, about ⏱️ 5 seconds .
11. 11

    Immediately add chicken and stir-fry until there are no longer pink spots on the exterior (chicken will still be raw in center at this stage), ⏱️ 45 seconds to 1 1/2%minutes .
12. 12

    Add garlic (thinly sliced) and ginger (peeled and cut into fine matchsticks or grated) and stir-fry until fragrant, about ⏱️ 10 seconds .

    garlic (thinly sliced): 4 medium cloves, ginger (peeled and cut into fine matchsticks or grated): 1 inch knob
13. 13

    Add scallions (white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch pieces) and roasted peanuts and stir-fry for ⏱️ 30 seconds .

    scallions (white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch pieces): 6, roasted peanuts: 3/4 c
14. 14

    Add sauce ingredients and stir-fry until all the ingredients are coated evenly and the chicken is cooked through, about ⏱️ 1 minute , adding water at a time if necessary to keep the sauce from clumping.

    water: 1 tbsp
15. 15

    Serve immediately with steamed white rice.