Gong Bao Chicken

You don’t want to create too much sauce, this is a stir-fry after all. But this dish begs to be served with a fluffy bowl of white rice.

Gong Bao Chicken, widely known in the West as Kung Pao Chicken, is a dish I crave when I want something spicy yet light.

This beloved Chinese dish, especially popular in the Hunan province, owes its distinctive heat and sourness to a fermented pickled chili relish called du jiao. My recipe is adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop’s acclaimed book, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare this dish:

Du Jiao: Easy to Make, Easy to Buy

Du jiao is a staple in Hunan and Sichuan stir-fry dishes. If you can't find it online or at your local Asian grocery store, don’t worry – I’ve got a simple recipe to make it at home. Trust me, it's easier than you think and offers an irreplaceable flavor that sambal olek just can’t match.

The Importance of Mise en Place

Success in Chinese stir-fry cooking hinges on meticulous preparation, or mise en place. Ensure all your ingredients are prepped and within reach before you start cooking, as a hot wok waits for no one. Avoid overcooking or burning your dish by having your onions sliced and ready. This is where your stack of deli containers will come in handy.

Tenderizing the Meat

A key technique in many Chinese stir-fry dishes is tenderizing the meat with cornstarch and a small amount of water. You can achieve a similar effect using bicarbonate or baking soda before cooking. Once the protein has been marinated for a sufficient amount of time, you can either cook immediately or use an oil or water blanching technique to lock in the tenderness. The technique of tenderizing and par cooking is called velveting.

Ingredients for the Marinade

• 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into long, thin strips (6 chicken thighs)

• 1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

Ingredients for the Stir-Fry

• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

• 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced

• 6 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

• 10 dried Arbol chilies, torn into rough pieces

• 3 tablespoons Du Jiao (salted, fermented chili relish)

• 1/2 cup salted, roasted peanuts

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon MSG

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• 6 scallions, sliced into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces

Ingredients for the Sauce

• 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons potato flour or cornstarch

• 1/4 cup chicken stock or water

Special Equipment

• Wok

• Wok spatula

Serves 4

Directions for the Marinade

1. Add the slices of chicken to a bowl. Mix in the cornstarch, Shaoxing cooking wine, soy sauces, salt, and sugar. Cover and allow to marinade overnight if not for 30 minutes.

Directions for the Sauce

1. Prepare the sauce in advance of stir frying so that you can easily add it to the mixture once the chicken and vegetables have cooked. Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a deli container and set to the side until you’re ready to use.

Directions for the Stir-Fry

1. Heat the wok over medium high heat. Add in one tablespoon of oil. Add in your marinated chicken and cook for three to four minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a separate bowl while you cook your vegetables. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce, including the corn starch, and set aside.

2. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add in the slices of onion and cook for two minutes. Then, add in your ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn, Arbol chilies, du jiao, and dry spices (sugar, MSG, and white pepper). Cook for a couple of minutes or until fragrant. Add back your cooked chicken and peanuts.

3. Finally, add in the sauce that has been fortified with cornstarch. As the stir fry cooks, the sauce will become thick and rich. Add in your scallions and cook for one more minute so that they do not wilt too much from the heat of the wok. Transfer the stir-fry to a plate and serve with white rice. Enjoy!