KUNG PAO CHICKEN

By Lenny

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian chili oil or sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 bunches scallions (whites cut into 1/2-inch pieces, greens sliced)
• 4 cups precut stir-fry vegetables
• 1/2 cup cocktail peanuts
• Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 teaspoons each rice wine, cornstarch and water in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, the sugar, chili oil and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet. Add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites and precut vegetables; stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Add the chicken and peanuts and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the soy sauce-chili oil mixture, add to the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, 30 seconds. Serve over rice and top with the scallion greens.