Szechwan kung pao chicken

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 tablespoon Dry sherry
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
½ teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoon White pepper
1½ pounds Chicken breasts, skinned, boned & cut in bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons Salad oil
4 smalls Up to...
6 smalls Dry, hot chile peppers
½ cup Salted peanuts
1 teaspoon Minced garlic
1 teaspoon Fresh ginger
2 Whole green onions, cut in 1 1/2 inch lengths
Cooking sauce -
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dry sherry
3 tablespoons Chicken broth
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Directions

In a bowl, combine sherry, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir to coat, then stir in 1 T of the oil and let stand for 15 minutes to marinate. Prepare cooking sauce - In another bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside.

Heat a wok or wide frying pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, add 1 T of the oil. Add whole peppers and peanuts and cook, stirring, until peppers just begin to char. If peppers become completely black, discard. Remove peanuts from pan and repeat with new peppers.

Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 T oil to pan and increase heat to high. When oil begins to heat, add garlic and ginger. Stir once, then add chicken and stir-fry until chicken is opaque (about 3 minutes). Add peppers, peanuts and onion to pan. Stir cooking sauce, add to pan and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens.

Variations: Shrimp - substitute 1½ lbs shrimp (shelled & deveined) for the chicken. Stir-fry shrimp until they turn pink (about 2 minutes). Scallops - Substitute 1 ¼ lbs raw scallops (cut in ¼ inch thick slices) for the chicken. Stir fry until they turn opaque (about 2 minutes). Submitted By ALAN BURGSTAHLER On 02-21-95

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