Americanized Kung Pao Chicken

One of my new favorite websites is Serious Eats. Their head chef has some great recipes informed by testing out different ways of making each dish, and they also have other authors (read into that as you will). We tried both versions of Kenji Lopez's kung pao chicken, and were pleasantly surprised by both of them. Naturally, being filthy Americans, we were fans of the Americanized or "take out" version, which uses vinegar, bell peppers, and celery to create a delicious replica of the usual restaurant order. It was instantly obvious that white vinegar was the missing ingredient in some take-out recipes, so I'll be on the lookout for ways to shove this into other stir-fries. The authentic version uses a Chinese black vinegar known as Chinkiang vinegar along with leeks and Sichuan peppercorns, which is definitely worth checking out as well. Stay tuned for my repost of that recipe, or just go here for the original one.






Take-out Style Kung Pao Chicken
J Kenji Lopez-Alt, SeriousEats.com

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (see note above)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons vegetable, peanut, or canola oil, divided
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 scallion, white and light green parts only, finely minced
• 8 small dried red Chinese or Arbol chilies (see note above)

Combine chicken, salt, pepper, soy sauce, wine, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes. Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together until homogenous. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add chicken, spread into a single layer, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, tossing and stirring frequently, until the exterior is opaque but chicken is still slightly raw in the center, about 2 minute longer. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.

Wipe out wok and heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat until smoking. Add bell peppers and celery and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until brightly colored and browned in spots, about 1 minute. Add peanuts and toss to combine. Push vegetables up side of wok to clear a space in the center. Add garlic, ginger, scallions, and dried chilies and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return chicken to wok and toss to combine. Stir sauce and add to wok. Cook, tossing, until sauce thickens and coats ingredients and chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Serve immediately.