Rick’s Kung Pao Chicken with Snow Peas

 April 28, 2023 by richardlfloyd

This is a flexible dish. You could skip the snow peas and serve with a different vegetable. You can adjust the heat by the number of chilis you use.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

2 TSP cornstarch

2 TSP water

1 TSP Chinese cooking rice wine (Shaoxing Wine) or dry sherry

1 TSP sesame oil

3 TBS soy sauce

A pinch of salt

1 TSP Sichuan peppercorns, ground in a mortar

1 egg white, beaten

For the sauce:

2 TBS dark soy sauce

1 TBS cornstarch

1 TSP sesame oil

2 TBS Chinese cooking rice wine (Shaoxing Wine)

1 TBS Chinkiang (black) vinegar

2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes.

4 to six dried chili peppers, such as Hunan chilis, Thai bird chilis or chiles de árbol.

½ red bell pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces

4 TBS peanut oil

½ cup dry roasted peanuts

2 scallions, sliced for garnish

4 OZ snow peas

Recipe

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl and add the chicken pieces and stir until all the pieces are covered. Marinate for half an hour while you make you preparations.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the snow peas. When the boil returns, drain the peas in cold water.

In a big non-stick skillet heat the oil over medium heat and when hot, add the chilis. Stir for about 30 seconds and add the chicken all at once and spread them across the skillet. Let them cook on one side for about 3 minutes and then turn them. Let the other side brown, add the sauce, the bell pepper, and snow peas. Stir fry until the snow peas are covered and the sauce is thickened and reduced, a couple of minutes. Turn the heat off. Add the peanuts and scallions. Stir and serve with rice.

(Photo: R.L. Floyd 2023)