Classic Kung Pao Chicken

Name: Classic Kung Pao Chicken
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 450 g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1 egg white; 2 tablespoons Chinese Chicken Stock or store-bought fresh stock; 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry; 1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onions; 1 tablespoon finely sliced garlic; 40 g (1½ oz) shelled raw peanuts; 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger; 480 ml (16 fl oz) groundnut oil, or 480 ml (16 fl oz) water (see variation) and 1½ tablespoons groundnut oil; 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons water; 2 teaspoons Chinese black rice vinegar; 2 teaspoons cornflour; 1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce; 2 teaspoons sugar; 2 dried red chillies, split lengthways

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Easy Family Dishes

By Ken Hom

Published 1998

About

This became a very popular dish in Chinese-American restaurants in the 1970s, when menus began to expand to include many more authentic and traditional examples of Chinese cuisine. It continues to be a great favourite.

It is a classic Sichuan dish that has gone through many mutations. From my research, its first appearance in the US was in New York, and subsequently it spread to menus throughout the country. Today there is hardly a Chinese restaurant in America that does not offer t