A traditional favourite, kung pao chicken can be eaten with just about anything. From noodles to rice and even soft steamed buns!
Ingredients
- 2 x 600 g chicken breast fillets, cut into 2 cm-thick slices
- 1 tbsp Shao Hsing wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce, plus 1 tbsp extra
- 2 tsps cornflour
- 2 tsps sesame oil
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 tsps sugar
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsalted raw cashews
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1 long red chilli, seeded, finely sliced
- 6 small dried red chillies
- 2 tsps Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 green onions, cut into 3-cm lengths
- Steamed white rice, buns, to serve
Steps
In a shallow dish, combine chicken with Shao Hsing, soy, cornflour and sesame oil. Marinate 30 mins.
In a small jug, combine stock with extra soy, vinegar and sugar.
In a wok, heat half oil on high. Stir-fry nuts 1 to 2 mins. Remove from wok.
Increase heat to high. Stir-fry chicken in 2 batches, 4 to 5 mins each, until almost cooked through. Remove from wok.
Heat remaining oil in wok. Stir-fry celery, chilli, peppercorns and garlic,1 min, until chilli darkens slightly. Return chicken to wok with sauce mixture and onions. Bring to simmer and cook 2 to 3 mins, until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.
Scatter nuts over. Serve with rice and buns
Bauer/Woman’s Day/Photo: Brett Stevens