Szechwan Chicken with Peanuts
Adapted from the 1984 publication of The Frugal Gourmet by Jeff Smith, this is a milder version of the traditional recipe for Kung Pao Chicken.
Kung Pao Chicken, of course, is a famous, popular, traditional Chinese dish with hot peppers and peanuts. “Kung Pao” is a Chinese term that originates from the name of a Qing Dynasty official, Ding Baozhen, who held the title "Gongbao,” which roughly translates to "Palace Guardian" or "Palace Attendant." This title was later associated with a dish named after him—Kung Pao Chicken. The dish was originally a specialty from Szechwan cuisine and now is considered standard, if not mandatory fare on most American Chinese restaurant menus.
The Frugal Gourmet, 1984
This recipe was inspired by a dish that Smith called “My Cousin David’s Chicken” from his first cookbook, The Frugal Gourmet. It is a milder version of the classic Kung Pao Chicken. I actually made the dish a bit milder still. I do not use whole Szechwan peppers that Smith had in his recipe and that actually, besides peanuts and chicken, is a defining characteristic of the classic Kung Pao Chicken. In terms of heat, the average Szechwan pepper ranges from 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units, which is the universal measurement of chili pepper heat. When you consider the average Jalapeño pepper is between 2,500 and 8,000 Scoville units, that makes for a formidable pepper. The peppers themselves, in spite of being plentiful within any platter of Kung Pao Chicken, are not chopped or diced and left whole so they are easily discernible. This is because they are not actually meant to be eaten. Their presence in the dish is merely to imbue it with the essence of the pepper’s flavor. But they still pack a Scoville punch and if you accidentally consume one, you’ll never make that mistake a second time.
Sambal Oelek from Huy Fong Foods
My preference, therefore, is to leave the whole peppers out of the dish entirely and I substitute a more benign red bell pepper. For the heat and spice that I want in the dish, however, I use a well known and widely distributed fresh ground chili paste under the name of Sambal Oelek form Huy Fong Foods. The initiate will recognize this product from the same people what have given us our love of Sriracha Sauce, with its famous Rooster logo and instantly recognizable green cap. There are other Asian chili pastes on the market, including one from Lee Kum Kee, another well known widely US distributed provider of Asian seasoning products. Either of these products will work with this recipe, and absent one or the other, a couple of dashes of the aforementioned Sriracha Sauce will do.
Szechwan Chicken with Peanuts
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into one inch pieces
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce (like, Kikkoman Less Sodium)
- 3 tbsp dry sherry wine
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp dry sherry wine
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (like, Pearl River Bridge)
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1/2 cup peanut oil
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce (like, Sambal Oelek or Lee Kum Kee)
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 3/4 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts (like, Planter's)
Instructions
- Marinade the chicken pieces in the light soy sauce, sherry and corn starch at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Combine the sherry, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, water and corn starch in a mixing bowl and whisk together until the brown sugar and corn starch are dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat the wok until smoking, and then add the peanut oil until it begins to slightly smoke.
- Add the red bell pepper and stir-fry 5-7minutes until the pepper is limp and begins to brown slightly
- Add the chicken, marinade and all, and stir-fry until the chicken looses its pink color.
- Add the dark soy mixture and the chili garlic sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce slightly.
- Stir in the peanuts and green onions at the last minute.
- Remove the dish to a serving bowl and hold in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
Notes
- Like any good wok chef, prepare all your ingredients ahead of time so they are at the ready and within arms reach before you begin, known in French cooking terminology as Mis en Place.
