Cina · Piatto principale · Media
Kung pao chicken
Sichuan gong bao jiding: chicken, peanuts and dried chillies in a glossy sweet-sour sauce
Diced chicken thigh stir-fried with dried chillies, Sichuan pepper, garlic, ginger and spring onion, finished with a small amount of sweet, sour and savoury sauce and roasted peanuts. Blooming the chillies and peppercorns gently in the oil first flavours the whole dish with a fragrant, tingling heat instead of a burnt, bitter one.
- Energia
- 420 kcala porzione
- Preparazione
- 25 min
- Cottura
- 8 min
- Proteine
- 30 g
Com'è venuta?
Attrezzatura
- Wok (at least 32 cm) or a large heavy frying pan
- Wok spatula
- Two small bowls (marinade and sauce)
- Instant-read thermometer
- Kitchen scissors for the chillies
Prima di iniziare
- Cut the chicken into 1.5 cm cubes so they cook at the same rate.
- Snip the dried chillies into 2 cm pieces and shake out most of the seeds.
- Slice the garlic and ginger and cut the spring onions.
- Line up every ingredient next to the wok in the order it goes in. The cooking takes under 8 minutes and there is no time to chop.
Procedimento
-
Marinate the chicken
500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 cucchiaio light soy sauce1 cucchiaio Shaoxing rice wine2 cucchiaino cornflourMix the chicken with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and cornflour until every cube is coated. Leave for 15 minutes at room temperature.
È pronto quando The chicken looks lightly glazed and there is no dry cornflour or liquid pooling in the bowl.
-
Mix the sauce
25 g sugar2 cucchiaio Chinkiang black vinegar1 cucchiaio light soy sauce1 cucchiaino dark soy sauce1 cucchiaino cornflour3 cucchiaio water or chicken stockStir the sugar, black vinegar, both soy sauces, cornflour and water together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
È pronto quando The sauce is smooth and dark brown, with no grains of sugar or lumps of cornflour at the bottom.
Consiglio Stir it again just before it goes in: the cornflour settles within a minute.
-
Bloom the chillies and pepper
3 cucchiaio neutral oil12 dried red chillies1 cucchiaino Sichuan peppercornsHeat the oil in the wok over medium heat to about 150 °C. Add the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir for 30–60 seconds.
È pronto quando The chillies darken to a deep red-brown, puff slightly and smell toasty; the oil has turned faintly red. They must not go black.
Consiglio Open a window. If the chillies turn black, start again: burnt chillies make the whole dish bitter.
150 °C · 302 °F -
Stir-fry the chicken
500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighsTurn the heat to high, add the chicken and spread it out. Leave it for 30 seconds, then stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.
È pronto quando The chicken is opaque white with golden spots and separates easily; no pink shows on the outside.
-
Check the chicken
500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighsCut open the largest cube or check it with the thermometer. Keep stir-frying for another 30 seconds if it is not done.
È pronto quando The centre is white with clear juices and reads 74 °C.
-
Add the aromatics
4 spicchi garlic15 g fresh ginger4 spring onionsAdd the garlic, ginger and spring onions and stir-fry over high heat for 30 seconds.
È pronto quando The garlic smells sweet and fragrant and the spring onions turn bright green.
-
Glaze with the sauce
Give the sauce a stir, pour it around the edge of the wok and toss for 30–60 seconds over high heat.
È pronto quando The sauce bubbles, thickens and clings to the chicken in a glossy coat, leaving almost nothing in the bottom of the wok.
Consiglio Kung pao has very little sauce. If it looks too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water; if thin, toss a few seconds longer.
-
Add the peanuts and serve
80 g roasted unsalted peanutsTake the wok off the heat, toss in the peanuts and transfer to a plate immediately.
È pronto quando The peanuts are glossy but still crunchy when you bite one.
Consiglio Adding peanuts at the very end keeps them crisp. Stirred in earlier, they soften in the sauce.
Errori comuni
The dish tastes bitter and acrid.
Rimedio The chillies or peppercorns burnt. Bloom them over medium heat, not high, and add the chicken as soon as they turn deep red.
The chicken is dry and stringy.
Rimedio Breast was used, or it was overcooked. Use thigh, cut it evenly and take it off as soon as it reaches 74 °C.
The chicken stews instead of searing.
Rimedio The wok was not hot enough or was overloaded. Use high heat and, in a small pan, cook the chicken in two batches.
The sauce is gloopy or the dish is swimming in it.
Rimedio Too much cornflour or water. Kung pao sauce should only coat; keep to the quantities and toss briefly.
Come servire
Serve at once with steamed jasmine rice and a plate of stir-fried greens or smashed cucumber. Warn diners that the whole dried chillies are for flavour, not for eating.
Conservazione e riscaldamento
Cool and refrigerate within 1 hour. Keeps 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in a hot wok or pan until steaming and the chicken is 74 °C in the centre; the peanuts will soften.
Da preparare in anticipo
Cut and marinate the chicken, mix the sauce and prepare the aromatics up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Cook just before serving.
Varianti
With chicken breast
Use the same weight of breast and add 1 tablespoon of water to the marinade. Stir-fry 30 seconds less and check for 74 °C.
Milder
Use 6 dried chillies and leave the seeds out completely. Keep the Sichuan pepper: it gives tingle, not heat.
Kung pao tofu (vegan)
Replace the chicken with 450 g of extra-firm tofu cut into 2 cm cubes, tossed in cornflour and pan-fried until golden before step 3. Leave out the marinade and add the tofu back at step 7.
