Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 15 g fresh ginger, peeled
• 125 ml low-sodium soy sauce
• 60 ml hoisin sauce
• 40 ml Shaoxing cooking wine
• 15 ml sesame oil
• 2 g Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and crushed
• 9 g granulated sugar
• 12 g cornstarch
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1.2 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 fresh long red chillies, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 6 spring onions, white and green parts separated
• 300 g jasmine rice
• 500 ml water
• 1 pinch salt
• 50 g chopped peanuts
• 30 ml peanut oil

Method

1. Finely grate the garlic and ginger into a paste.
2. Whisk the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorns, sugar, cornstarch and black pepper together until smooth.
3. Place the diced chicken in a bowl. Add one-quarter of the sauce, toss well and marinate for 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.
4. Meanwhile, combine the jasmine rice, water and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 12 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for 4 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
6. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes. Transfer them to a plate.
7. Heat the peanut oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in batches for 6–7 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Transfer it to a clean plate.
8. Add the bell peppers and chillies to the same pan and stir-fry for approximately 5 minutes.
9. Add the spring-onion whites and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
10. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the reserved sauce.
11. Stir continuously for approximately 1 minute, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables.
12. Stir in the toasted peanuts, garnish with the spring-onion greens and serve with the jasmine rice.