Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

• Boneless whole chicken leg (or chicken breast)
• Leek-type scallion (dacong)
• Dried chilies (or Erjingtiao chilies)
• Roasted peanuts
• Light soy sauce
• Black vinegar
• White sugar
• Cooking wine
• Salt
• Chicken bouillon powder
• Starch
• Vegetable oil
• Sesame oil

Optional ingredients

• Chili oil (youpo lazi)
• Celtuce (stem lettuce)
• Raw peanuts
• Doubanjiang (broad bean paste)

Steps

Simple version

1. Debone the chicken leg with scissors, pound the meat side once with the back of a knife, cut into strips and then into 1.5 cm cubes; soak in water for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside (if using chicken breast, you can go straight to dicing and the following steps)
2. Put the green part of the scallion and 5 g ginger slices in a bowl and pour in 50 g boiling water; set aside. Cut the scallion white into 1.5 cm rounds and set aside; dry-roast the peanuts in the microwave on high for 5 minutes and set aside
3. Add 2 g salt, 5 g dark soy sauce, 15 g cooking wine and 15 g starch to the chicken and mix until slightly dry; slowly add part of the scallion-ginger water and stir until the chicken is sticky; seal with cling film and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour
4. Cut the dried chilies into sections; heat the wok over high heat, then turn to low; toast the dried chilies until slightly charred and remove; toast the Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant and remove
5. Turn to high heat, add 20 g vegetable oil, and when it's 70% hot (bubbles form around a bamboo chopstick) add the chicken; fry until the top starts turning white, flip with a spatula, fry for 30 s, then stir-fry evenly
6. Add the scallion rounds and stir-fry, then add the remaining scallion-ginger water, topping up with a little water (it must be hot) if it's less than 100 g; cover and braise over medium-low heat for 2 minutes;
7. Turn to high heat, add the roasted peanuts, dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns; add 2 g chicken bouillon, 5 g black vinegar and 2 g sugar, and stir-fry evenly;
8. Mix 10 g starch with 50 g water to make a slurry, add it to the wok, stir-fry evenly, and reduce the sauce to the consistency you like
9. Turn off the heat, drizzle with 10 g sesame oil, and serve

A slightly more complex but even more mouthwatering version

10. Compared with the simple version, Erjingtiao chilies and raw peanuts are recommended here. Celtuce is also added to complement the crunch of the peanuts and the tenderness of the chicken
11. Peel the celtuce and cut it into 1 cm cubes; set aside;
12. Cut the Erjingtiao chilies into 1 cm sections;
13. Debone the chicken leg with scissors, pound the meat side once with the back of a knife, cut into strips and then into 1.5 cm cubes; soak in water for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside (if using chicken breast, you can go straight to dicing and the following steps);
14. Put the green part of the scallion and 5 g ginger slices in a bowl and pour in 50 g boiling water; set aside. Cut the scallion white into 1.5 cm rounds and set aside
15. Add 2 g salt, 5 g dark soy sauce, 15 g cooking wine and 15 g starch to the chicken and mix until slightly dry; slowly add part of the scallion-ginger water and stir until the chicken is sticky; seal with cling film and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour
16. Turn to medium heat, add 20 g vegetable oil, add the raw peanuts and stir-fry until slightly browned on the surface; remove the peanuts but leave the oil in the wok;
17. Keep heating; when it's 70% hot (bubbles form around a bamboo chopstick) add the chicken and the doubanjiang and stir-fry for about 1 minute;
18. Add the prepared celtuce cubes and stir-fry for another minute;
19. Add the scallion rounds and stir-fry, then add the remaining scallion-ginger water, topping up with a little water (it must be hot) if it's less than 100 g; add the Erjingtiao sections; cover and braise over medium-low heat for 2 minutes;
20. Turn to high heat, add the peanuts you set aside earlier and the Sichuan peppercorns; add 2 g chicken bouillon, 5 g black vinegar and 2 g sugar, and stir-fry evenly;
21. Mix 10 g starch with 50 g water to make a slurry, add it to the wok, stir-fry evenly, and reduce the sauce to the consistency you like
22. Turn off the heat, drizzle with 10 g sesame oil and 5 g chili oil, stir-fry for another 10 s, and serve