It just so happens that Chinese new year and my husband’s birthday (February 12) fall on the same day this year. And that’s grand because there is nothing he would like better than to have Chinese food for his birthday dinner.
Kung Pao Gai Ding — Chicken with Peanuts — is one of his favorites, so that’s what he’ll be getting.
CHICKEN WITH PEANUTS
sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
the chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4-6 dry red whole chili peppers
4 large scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Mix the soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, kosher salt and sesame seed oil in a small bowl and set it aside. Mix the 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl and set it aside.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch and mix thoroughly to coat all the chicken pieces. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stirfry for 2-3 minutes or until all the pieces are white. Dish out the chicken and set the pieces aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in the wok. Add the chili peppers, scallion, ginger and stirfry briefly. Add the chicken and stirfry for about a minute, distributing the ingredients evenly. Stir the sauce and pour it into the pan. Stirfry for about a minute. Add the peanuts and mix them in evenly. Stir the cornstarch mixture and pour it into the pan. Stirfry until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings