Kung Pao Chicken

This stir fry is widely popular in my Life Changing Chicken Cooking Classes

Ingredients:

3 Tbl neutral oil

2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbl Casian Fusion Blend

2 medium scallions, finely chopped

1 Tbl sliced peeled fresh ginger (coins)

½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, or more for taste

10 dried small red chiles (chile de árbol)

3-4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 Tbl rice vinegar

4 tsp soy sauce, or more to taste

4 tsp sugar

2 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

2 tsp potato starch or corn starch

4 Tbl crush roasted peanuts

Cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

In a bowl, toss the chicken with the blend.

Heat 2 Tbl oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering and very hot. Add chicken; cook stirring constantly, until pieces have separated from each other and chicken is just cooked through 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Transfer chicken to a plate lined with paper towels; set aside.

Return wok to heat over high; add remaining 1 Tbl oil. Add scallion, ginger, peppercorns, chiles, and garlic; stir fry until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Return chicken to wok; stir to combine. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, wine, and potato starch; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and thick, about 1 minute. Add peanuts, toss to combine.  Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

*Dark soy sauce is in Chinese cuisine; dark soy sauce is a dark-colored soy sauce used mainly for adding color and flavor to dishes. It is richer, slightly thicker, and less salty than other types of soy sauce. It is also aged longer.

*Add steamed broccoli & double the sauce -Steam 1 large crown of broccoli. It will be the first ingredient to stir fry before the chicken. Set aside. Continue with the recipe as written. Double the sauce to have enough to coat the broccoli.