Szechuan Chicken

[Tommy T.]

I get distressed with the never ending virus news. I keep hoping that when I wake up tomorrow, it will all have just been a vivid nightmare rather than vivid daymare... On that note, I take solace in cooking and eating (along with my Tanduay).

This recipe is basically the same as kung pao chicken with which some of you may be familiar?

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and diced

2 slices ginger root, minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch (I actually use more to make a thicker sauce)

2 teaspoons soy sauce (I use low salt version)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup peanut oil (any oil will do, but the peanut oil gives it a bit better flavour)

1 cup skinless peanuts (unsalted - raw work great)

3-4 dried red chili peppers (I usually use 6-10)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Optional:

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced but not tiny bits add it to the chicken mixture

1 tablespoon - more or less - hoisin sauce

Combine the chicken, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce  and salt. Mix well and set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok or skillet and stir-fry the peanuts about 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon leaving remaining oil in pan.

Add chili peppers to oil and stir-fry about 1 minute until brown and pungent. Do not over do it because they do burn rather easily. Remove these with slotted spoon.

Add chicken mixture to pan and stir-fry about 2 minutes or until cooked and white throughout.

Add sugar, vinegar, reserved peanuts and chilis and hoisin (if desired). Heat this through, then serve and enjoy.

The thing I like about this dish is that you can make it as hot as you please just by eating the chilis with the rest - or not. So if you like spice and the Asawa or others do not, well the dish, itself, is not really all that spicy. I love the smoky hot taste of the chilis so eat a lot. Of course, I pay for that the next morning...

Chicken mixture, chilis, raw peanuts (available usually at SM)

Stir-frying the peanuts - about half done in this photo

Peanuts done - almost too done!

Wonderful on rice - and I had four chilis with my serving last night

Edited March 25, 2020 by Tommy T.
Forgot the photos

[Kuya John]

Thanks Tom that was delicious........what's for pudding?