Kung Pao Chicken

Hot and spicy! I fixed this for Mary Ann Murphy and she almost turned Chinese! The image to the right is a photocopy I took of a page from a book I checked out from the now defunct Highland Branch Library (Memphis and Shelby County Libraries). The book had the English version on one page and the Chinese version on the facing page.  I photocopied it and pasted it into a spiral bound cook book of ours many many years ago.

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless chicken ; cubed
8 dried red chiles
1/2 cup peanuts
1 teaspoon ginger; minced
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoon peanut oil

(Cooking Sauce)

2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Combine chicken pieces with water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, minced ginger, and 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir and allow to soak for at least 1/2 hour.

Seasoning Sauce: Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sherry wine, sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, salt, and sesame oil. Blend well, and set aside.

Wipe the chiles clean; remove seeds, and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch long pieces. Heat the oil in the wok. Fry the peanuts until golden, and then remove.

Add the chicken and cook for 1/2 minute. Remove chicken and place aside to drain. Add the dried chiles to the oil and stir fry until they turn black. Add the ginger and chicken pieces stirring quickly. Then add the seasoning sauce, stirring until thickened and heated through.

Remove from the fire and add the cooked peanuts. Mix well and serve over rice.

The original recipe came from a book we got at the library. Unfortunately, I don’t have the title/author info.  I copied it and pasted it into a spiral bound cook book of ours many many years ago.