【Sichuan】Kung Pao Chicken

Overview

Kung Pao Chicken is a traditional Sichuan dish. Legend has it that it was created by the chef of Prince Shaobao Ding Baozhen in the late Qing Dynasty. It is said that Ding Baozhen has always maintained a simple living habit. Sometimes he would be busy with official duties and return home late. The chef would know the master's temper and grab some ready-made diced chicken, chili peppers, peanuts, etc. in the kitchen, stir-fry them in a hot pan and serve them, which made Master Ding very happy. After he became an official in Sichuan, his chef also came with him from Shandong. He saw that Tianfu peanuts were not inferior to Shandong peanuts. He combined them with Sichuan's spicy custom and improved them. A little white sugar was added to add a fresh taste. Master Ding greatly praised this move. The officials, relatives and friends who came to the Ding Mansion for the banquet also praised the unique flavor of the chicken. Because Ding Baozhen was once named Prince Shaobao (honored as Gong Bao), he jokingly called this dish Gong Bao Chicken, and it has become popular all over the country to this day.

Tags

• hot dishes
• home cooking
• sichuan cuisine
• chicken breast
• dried chili pepper
• garlic
• green onions
• peanuts
• sichuan pepper powder
• starch
• vinegar
• white sugar
• zanthoxylum bungeanum
• ginger
• salt
• soy sauce

Ingredients

Steps

1. 1 Ingredients to prepare: chicken breast, peanuts, green onions, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic

   

2. 2 Wash the chicken breast and cut into small cubes. Add soy sauce, starch, and salt, mix well, and marinate for 10 minutes

   

3. 3 Mince ginger and garlic, cut green onions into small sections, and cut dried chilies into sections

   

4. 4 Soak peanuts in hot water for 10 minutes, remove the outer layer

   

5. 5 Add cold oil to the pan and fry over low heat

   

6. 6 Fry until golden and the whole peanuts open, take them out

   

7. 7 Put vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and salt into a bowl to make gravy

   

8. 8 Add oil to the pot, heat it up, add diced chicken and fry until it changes color, take it out and set aside

   

9. 9 Add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns to the pot and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the minced ginger, garlic and green onions and stir-fry

   

10. 10 Add the fried diced chicken and stir well

    

11. 11 Pour in the gravy and stir-fry evenly

    

12. 12 Add peanuts before serving and stir well