Gong Bao Chicken With Peanuts

5.0(943)

This dish is an adaptation of one brought to The Times by Fuschia Dunlop, the British journalist who's also an accomplished cook of Chinese cuisine. It is a pop classic with hot chiles, crunchy peanuts and plenty of garlic and ginger. “Everyone loves it, and it’s complex enough to be interesting without being too complicated to make,” Ms. Dunlop said. Dig in with a side of white rice and enjoy.

by Julia Moskin

Open original recipe

ChineseDinner, Easy, Main Course

Servings

(2–3)

Total time

40 min

Calories / serving

540 kcal

Ingredients (19)

serves

2 boneless chicken breasts (11 to 12 ounces total), with or without skinchicken
3 garlic clovesgarlic
An equivalent amount of gingerginger
5 spring onions, white parts onlyscallion
A handful of dried chiles (about 10)
2 tablespoons cooking oiloil
1 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepperpepper
3 ounces (75 grams) roasted peanuts (see note)peanut
1/2 teaspoon saltsalt
2 teaspoons light soy saucesoy-sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (or use dry sherry or dry vermouth)
1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch or cornstarchcornstarch
1 tablespoon sugarsugar
3/4 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarchcornstarch
1 teaspoon dark soy saucedark-soy-sauce
1 teaspoon light soy saucesoy-sauce
1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (or use balsamic vinegar)
1 teaspoon sesame oilsesame-oil
1 tablespoon chicken stock or waterwater

Instructions (6 steps)

01Cut chicken as evenly as possible into half-inch strips, then cut strips into small cubes. Place in a small bowl. Add marinade ingredients and 1 tablespoon water to bowl. Mix well and set aside.
02Peel and thinly slice garlic and ginger. Chop spring onions into chunks as long as their diameter (to match the chicken cubes). Snip chiles in half or into sections, discarding their seeds.
03In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.
04Heat a seasoned wok over a high flame. Add oil, chiles and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until chiles are darkening but not burned. (Remove wok from heat if necessary to prevent overheating.)
05Quickly add chicken and stir-fry over a high flame, stirring constantly. As soon as chicken cubes have separated, add ginger, garlic and spring onions and continue to stir-fry until they are fragrant and meat is just cooked through (test one of the larger pieces to make sure).
06Give sauce a stir and add to wok, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce has become thick and shiny, add the peanuts, stir them in and serve.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.