Gunpowder Chicken (aka Kung Pao / Gong Bao)

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs or breast diced
• 2tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp. rice wine
• Greens – beans or asparagus
• Handful spring onions – 2cm
• Red pepper – thinly sliced
• A clove garlic - sliced
• Ginger – an inch julienned
• 6 Chaotian chillies, snip (& seed)
• Sichuan pepper – tsp ground
• 50g roasted peanuts
• Sauce
• 2 tbsp. soya sauce
• 2 tbsp. rice wine
• 1 tbsp. rice wine or black vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp arrowroot dissolved in water
• 4tbls chicken stock

Method

1. 1Marinade chicken in soy and rice wine (or vinegar).
2. 2Snip the dried Choatian chillies (aka Heavenly or Facing Heaven) in half and remove some of the seeds.
3. 3Prepare the rest of the ingredients and the sauce. Blanch and ice the greens.
4. 4Heat vegetable oil in a wok till hot and add chicken – leave a minute, then stir fry till brown. Remove, Clean wok, add oil and stir fry the spring onion and peppers until blistered. Remove. Clean the wok and stir-fry garlic and ginger for a minute. Add chillies and Sichuan pepper, and add greens and peanuts.
5. 5Add the chicken and spring onions back in and stir fry for 4 minutes. Add the sauce and stir until thick and coated.