Recipe: Hunan Chili Chicken

HUNAN CHILI CHICKEN
Source: a recipe for Hunan Chili Squid in The New Chinese Cooking School by Kenneth Lo

1 medium-sized red bell pepper
1 medium-sized green bell pepper
1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into shreds
FOR THE MARINADE:
1 egg white
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 Tbsp cornstarch
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp yellow bean paste
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste (or tomato ketchup)
1 tsp red chili oil
2 tsp chili sauce or chili paste with garlic
1 Tbsp dry sherry
FOR THE CORNSTARCH MIXTURE:
2 tsp cornstarch blended with 1 1/2 Tbsp water (set aside)
TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Cut and reserve bell pepper pieces.

Mix chicken shreds with marinade mixture.

Mix sauce ingredients and set aside.

Make up cornstarch mixture and set aside.

Heat 1 1/2 cups oil in wok just until smoking. Add chicken and stir constantly with large chopstick or wooden spoon until shreds separate and turn white. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place in bowl until ready to use.

Pour off all but 2 Tbsp of the oil from the wok. When hot, add the sauce mixture and stir together over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until bubbly.

Return chicken pieces to wok and toss until warmed through.

Add cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce thickens.

Add the bell pepper pieces, stirring and coating with sauce, cooking for about 1 minute.