Name: Kung Pao Chicken with Jasmine Rice
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 2 h 18 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 150 g chicken thighs; 0.25 tablespoon soy sauce; 0.25 tablespoon rice wine; 0.5 teaspoon potato starch; 0.75 tablespoon soy sauce; 0.5 tablespoon rice vinegar; 25 ml poultry stock; 0.5 teaspoon caster sugar; 0.25 teaspoon sesame oil; 0.25 teaspoon potato starch; 1 pc spring onion; 0.75 clove garlic; 5 g ginger; 1.5 pcs chilli peppers; 0.25 teaspoon sichuan pepper; 20 g peanuts; rapeseed oil; 75 g jasmine rice; 112.5 ml water; 0.25 teaspoon salt

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Pat the boneless chicken thighs dry, cut them into small cubes, and place them in a bowl.
2
Add the soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, and potato starch, then mix the chicken thoroughly.
TIP:
Before quickly stir-frying in a wok, marinate the meat in soy sauce, wine, or another liquid with a little starch. It creates a delicate coating, keeps the meat juicy, and lightly thickens the sauce.
3
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes so the marinade tenderizes the surface and the starch coats it evenly.
4
Cut the scallions into diagonal pieces, finely chop the garlic, and finely grate the ginger.
5
In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame oil, and potato starch.

Cooking the Rice

6
Rinse the jasmine rice in cold water until the water runs almost clear.
TIP:
Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water is almost clear. This washes away excess starch, so the grains stick together less after cooking and the rice will be more delicate and fluffier.
7
Put the rice in a saucepan, add 450 ml water, season lightly with salt, and bring to a boil.
8
Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan, and cook the rice gently for about 12 minutes until tender.

Stir-Frying

9
Heat a little rapeseed oil in a wok and sear the chicken over high heat until golden.
TIP:
First, heat the wok thoroughly and fry the ingredients in smaller batches. Thanks to the high temperature, the meat quickly sears and browns. An overcrowded wok, on the other hand, cools down and starts steaming the food.
10
Remove the chicken and set it aside so it does not dry out, leaving only a thin film of oil in the wok.
11
Add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and briefly toast them until fragrant, without letting them burn.
12
Stir in the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the scallions, then stir-fry everything for about half a minute.
13
Return the chicken to the wok, pour in the prepared sauce, and stir quickly until it thickens.
14
Finally, add the peanuts and the green parts of the scallions so they stay crunchy and fresh.

Serving

15
Divide the kung pao chicken among plates with hot jasmine rice and serve immediately.
16
You can push the dried chilies aside while eating if you do not want very spicy bites.