Kung Pao Chicken

Chicken

• boneless chicken thighs600 g
• light soy sauce1 tbsp
• Shaoxing wine1 tbsp
• cornstarch2 tsp
• water1 tbsp

Sauce

• Chinkiang vinegar2 tbsp
• sugar1½ tbsp
• light soy sauce1 tbsp
• dark soy sauce2 tsp
• chicken stock3 tbsp
• cornstarch1 tsp
• sesame oil1 tsp

Stir-fry

• vegetable oil3 tbsp
• dried red chillies10
• Sichuan peppercorns1 tsp
• garlic3 clove
• fresh ginger1 tbsp
• spring onions6
• roasted peanuts80 g
• steamed rice (optional)

Chicken

1. 01

   Cut the chicken into 2 cm cubes. Stem and deseed the chillies and snip them in half; slice the garlic, finely chop the ginger, and cut the spring onions into 2 cm lengths, keeping the whites and greens apart.

2. 02

   Toss the chicken with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch and water until every cube feels slippery rather than wet. Leave it for 15 minutes while you get everything else ready.

Sauce

3. 03

   Stir the vinegar, sugar, both soy sauces, stock, cornstarch and sesame oil together in a small bowl until no cornstarch is left sitting at the bottom. Taste it: it should be sharp and sweet at once.

Stir-fry

4. 04

   Set the chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger, spring onion whites and peanuts out in separate piles beside the hob, next to the bowl you just mixed and a serving plate. Once the wok is hot there is no time to fetch anything.

5. 05

   Heat a wok over the highest heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl it round. Add the chicken in a single layer, leave it untouched for 1 minute to colour, then stir-fry for 2 minutes until barely cooked through. Tip it onto a plate.

6. 06

   Turn the heat down to medium and add the last tablespoon of oil. Fry the stemmed, deseeded chillies, snipped in half, and the Sichuan peppercorns for 20 to 30 seconds, until the chilies darken a shade and the kitchen smells fragrant. They must not blacken; burnt chilies make the whole dish bitter, so lift the wok off the heat if they are colouring fast.

7. 07

   Add the finely sliced garlic, the finely chopped ginger and the spring onion whites and stir-fry for 30 seconds until they smell sweet.

8. 08

   Return the chicken to the wok, turn the heat back to high, stir the sauce once more and pour it in. Toss everything for 30 to 60 seconds until the sauce thickens and clings to the meat in a glossy coat.

9. 09

   Take the wok off the heat, stir in the peanuts and spring onion greens and serve at once with steamed rice. The peanuts go in last so they stay crisp.