Finished dish photo of Traditional Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

Traditional Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

My mom told me at lunchtime today that I had a chicken breast sitting in the freezer for ages, and I still hadn't cooked it. So, I suddenly had a craving for authentic Kung Pao Chicken. We have two Sichuan cuisine chefs in the family. I’m not sure when it became trendy to add celery and carrot cubes into Kung Pao Chicken, but they always told me that's not authentic. Authentic Kung Pao Chicken is made with chicken breast; even using chicken thigh meat is not genuine. They lamented that traditional Sichuan cuisine is becoming rarer. Although they can't guide me in cooking anymore, I still keep the notes and books from before and try my best to recreate a traditional Kung Pao Chicken dish.

Ingredients

Young chicken breast250g
Salt-roasted peanuts50g
Chopped green onions20g
Sliced garlic5g
Sliced ginger5g
Dried red chili cubes10g
Dried Sichuan peppercorns3g
Refined salt4g
Shaoxing wine10g
Soy sauce10g
Vinegar10g
White sugar11g
MSG1g
Wet starch35g
Fresh broth35g
Mixed oil100g

Steps

1

Clean the chicken breast, tenderize it with the back of a knife, and cut into 1.5 cm cubes. Add a small amount of salt, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine (or yellow wine), mix in one direction, and let it sit for a while to absorb the flavors. Then add wet starch and mix again in the same direction.

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2

Mix soy sauce, vinegar, white sugar, MSG, Shaoxing wine, wet starch, and fresh broth (or water if unavailable) to prepare the sauce.

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3

Remove the skin from the peanuts and set aside.

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4

This dish requires high heat throughout. Heat the wok, add mixed oil, and heat it to around 60% hot. First, fry the dried chili briefly, then add the Sichuan peppercorns. Fry until they turn reddish-brown, then add the chicken cubes. Wait for a few seconds before quickly stirring them apart.

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5

Once the chicken cubes are separated, add sliced ginger, garlic, and green onion, and stir-fry briefly. Pour in the prepared sauce, stir quickly, then add the peanuts and toss evenly before serving.

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Cooking Tips

1. The ingredient names and quantities listed above are exactly as written in an old Sichuan cuisine book from decades ago. My family didn't record quantities in their notes, so I wanted to preserve a standard measure. At home, you can substitute Shaoxing wine with other cooking wine, and use oil-fried peanuts instead of salt-roasted ones. 2. Mixed oil refers to a blend of vegetable oil and lard. Don't worry about using too much oil; a lack of oil will definitely affect the flavor of the dish. 3. When marinating and coating the chicken breast, ensure most of the moisture is absorbed, but it shouldn't be too dry. If you're worried about sticking while stir-frying, you can add a little oil, though I managed to stir-fry easily without adding extra oil. 4. After adding the chicken, be quick when stir-frying. Overcooking will make the meat tough. Add peanuts only at the last moment to retain their crispiness.