Recipe: Chicken Chunks with Peanuts in Spicy Sauce (Kung Pao)

Chicken Chunks with Peanuts in Spicy Sauce (Kung Pao)

POULTRY:
1/2 cup raw peanuts
3 cup peanut oil
2 whole chicken breasts
1 large egg white
1 1/2 tbsp water chestnut flour

SAUCE:
4 green onions
2 large cloves garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger root
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp Chinese red vinegar
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp chili paste with garlic
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 pinch sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch paste

Bring chicken breasts to room temperature before beginning recipe. Preparation: Trim ends off green onions and cut light green and white part into 1" sections.

Mix all other sauce ingredients in 2-quart saucepan. Reserve.

Pull skin off breasts, then pull chicken meat from bones. Slice meat into 1-inch strips, then crosswise to make 1-inch chunks. In bowl large enough to hold chicken, add egg white to water chestnut flour. Beat mixture with a single chopstick (not an egg beater or whisk). Stir chicken pieces into egg mixture to coat thoroughly. Marinate 5 minutes.

Note: water chestnut flour gives a lighter crust than cornstarch, though the latter may be substituted.

Deep-frying:
Heat cooking oil in wok or deep-fryer to medium heat (you'll need more oil for deep-fryer). Fry peanuts until they are a light tan color; if a test peanut browns quickly, turn down heat. Remove peanuts with strainer or slotted spoon; drain on paper towel or paper bag. Reserve.

Turn up heat slightly for chicken. Test a chunk first: chicken should raise to surface immediately & brown in about 2 minutes. Deep-fry coated chicken chunks until golden brown. Deep-fry no more than 8 chunks at a time. Use long chopsticks or spatula to keep pieces separate while they are frying. Remove with long chopsticks or slotted spoon. Reserve.

Sauce:
While deep-frying chicken, heat sauce to simmer. Add green onions & peanuts about a minute before serving. At the last minute, add chicken pieces to sauce, mix quickly & serve.

Servings: 4