Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 1/2 teaspoons potato flour or 2 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon water
- 500-600 grams boneless chicken breasts, skin-on or skinless, cut into small chunks
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon potato flour or 1 1/8 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang or Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth, or water
For the chicken
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Ginger (enough to equal the amount of garlic), thinly sliced
- 5 spring onions, white parts only, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- A handful of dried red chiles (at least 10) preferably Sichuanese
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
Directions
- Make the marinade
- 1. Mix the potato flour or cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Slowly add the soy sauce, rice wine, and water mixing constantly with a fork. (If using potato flour, the marinade can be more of a paste rather than a liquid marinade, but press on.)
- 2. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside at room temperature.
- Make the sauce
- 3. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Make the Gong Bao chicken
- 4. Snip the chiles in half or into three pieces if large. Wearing rubber gloves, discard as many chile seeds as possible.
- 5. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to the wok and heat it over high heat. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the chiles and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until they’re crisp and the oil is spicy and fragrant. Whatever you do, be mindful not to burn the spices. You can remove the wok from the heat if necessary to prevent overheating.
- 6. Raise the heat to high, plop in the chicken pieces, and fry them, stirring constantly. As soon as the chicken cubes have separated, add the sliced ginger, garlic, and scallions and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes, until everything is fragrant and the meat is cooked through. Check one of the larger pieces of chicken to make sure.
- 7. Stir the sauce and then carefully swirl it into the wok, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce has become thick and shiny, add the peanuts, stir to combine, and serve immediately.
