Kung Pao refers to a chicken dish that originates from the Szechuan province of China. Traditionally, it’s made with dried chilies, Szechuan peppercorns, scallions, garlic, and peanuts, which are cooked over a high heat and tossed in a soy-based sauce with vinegar and sugar. The ingredients come together to create a spicy and sweet fusion of flavors. Using inspiration from traditional Kung Pao recipes, we make our dish with chicken and shrimp and serve over rice.
Level
Intermediate
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Serves
4-6
Cook it With Our
Directions
- Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, and sherry to create the marinade.
- Place chicken and shrimp in separate resealable bags, distribute soy sauce mixture evenly, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Use this time to prep the rest of your ingredients.
- Combine chicken broth, vinegar, garlic, ginger, remaining soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat wok over medium heat for 5 minutes, increase heat to medium-high for 2-3 minutes, then add oil and heat until just smoking.
- Now, add the red bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes without disturbing, then add dried chilies and peppercorns. Cook for 1 minute, remove peppers and chilies from the pan, and set aside.
- In batches, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, it should be well-browned on one side. Now, stir constantly until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and cover.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes, turn shrimp, and cook for 1 additional minute. Set aside with the chicken.
- Add remaining oil (if needed), celery, scallions, and peanuts. Cook for 1 minute.
- Return all of the cooked ingredients to the pan and stir to distribute evenly.
- Pour in garlic and ginger mixture, and stir until sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish with scallions.
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