Gong Bao Chicken With Peanuts

Gong Bao Chicken With Peanuts
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(877)
Comments
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This dish is an adaptation of one brought to The Times by Fuschia Dunlop, the British journalist who's also an accomplished cook of Chinese cuisine. It is a pop classic with hot chiles, crunchy peanuts and plenty of garlic and ginger. “Everyone loves it, and it’s complex enough to be interesting without being too complicated to make,” Ms. Dunlop said. Dig in with a side of white rice and enjoy. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: Gong Bao Chicken With Peanuts From ‘Every Grain of Rice’

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 3 servings

    For the Chicken

    • 2boneless chicken breasts (11 to 12 ounces total), with or without skin
    • 3garlic cloves
    • An equivalent amount of ginger
    • 5spring onions, white parts only
    • A handful of dried chiles (about 10)
    • 2tablespoons cooking oil
    • 1teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
    • 3ounces (75 grams) roasted peanuts (see note)

    For the Marinade

    • ½teaspoon salt
    • 2teaspoons light soy sauce
    • 1teaspoon Shaoxing wine (or use dry sherry or dry vermouth)
    • teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch

    For the Sauce

    • 1tablespoon sugar
    • ¾teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
    • 1teaspoon dark soy sauce
    • 1teaspoon light soy sauce
    • 1tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (or use balsamic vinegar)
    • 1teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1tablespoon chicken stock or water
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)

540 calories; 30 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 50 grams protein; 681 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut chicken as evenly as possible into half-inch strips, then cut strips into small cubes. Place in a small bowl. Add marinade ingredients and 1 tablespoon water to bowl. Mix well and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Peel and thinly slice garlic and ginger. Chop spring onions into chunks as long as their diameter (to match the chicken cubes). Snip chiles in half or into sections, discarding their seeds.

  3. Step 3

    In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.

  4. Step 4

    Heat a seasoned wok over a high flame. Add oil, chiles and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until chiles are darkening but not burned. (Remove wok from heat if necessary to prevent overheating.)

  5. Step 5

    Quickly add chicken and stir-fry over a high flame, stirring constantly. As soon as chicken cubes have separated, add ginger, garlic and spring onions and continue to stir-fry until they are fragrant and meat is just cooked through (test one of the larger pieces to make sure).

  6. Step 6

    Give sauce a stir and add to wok, continuing to stir and toss. As soon as the sauce has become thick and shiny, add the peanuts, stir them in and serve.

Tip
  • Store-bought roasted peanuts work well here, but if you want to roast your own peanuts, heat oven to 250 degrees. Place raw nuts on an oven tray and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until fragrant and very slightly golden. (Keep an eye on them, as they are easily burned.) Cool nuts on a plate, then rub nuts between your fingertips to loosen their skins. Shake nuts as you blow over them; skins will blow away.

Ratings

5 out of 5
877 user ratings
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Comments

Kung Pow and Peking reflect the old system of romanizing Mandarin (known as Wade-Giles), whereas Peking and Gong Bao use the pinyin (literally, "spelling sound") romanization system that's now standard in mainland China and in teaching Mandarin. They're a better approximation of the Mandarin sound for English speakers. If you went to China and asked for Kung Pow chicken they would have no idea what you're talking about, but Gong Bao chicken will get you what you want.

Although the video shows peeling ginger with a knife, most of you probably know to peel, as frugal Asian cooks do, with a spoon. It navigates the bumps and curves without losing so much of the vegetable.

Ms. Moskin, I covet the wok in your video. It looks like a heavy-duty, well made carbon steel wok. Would love to know where it was purchased.

I have tried to make many, but this one is the best. Even better than those I was eating in China.

Made this exactly by the recipe and my wife and I were well pleased with the results.

This was pretty good, but it had a sight sour note that clashed with the bright flavor of the Schezwan peppercorns.

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Credits

Adapted from "Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking," by Fuchsia Dunlop (W.W. Norton & Company, 2013)

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