Kung Pao Chicken

I meant to make General Tso's Chicken which always stirs my senses everytime I see (and smell) it in our local grocery store deli. But for some reasons, I ended up making Kung Pao Chicken. No regrets, though, as both hubby and I loved the Kung Pao. I especially liked the crunch that the peanut gave to the dish, and the subtle heat with the savory. Best served with hot rice!

What you need:

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 to 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
• 3 stalks (or more) green onions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts

What to do:

In a small bowl, combine the chicken and corn starch. Toss to coat. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are no longer pink in the center. Add the green onions, garlic, red pepper, and ginger to the skillet. Stir fry for 15 seconds.

Meanwhile, combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Stir well. Add it to the skillet and stir to coat the chicken evenly. Toss in the nuts. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Serve hot!

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. As we are dealing with chicken, cleanliness is of paramount importance. Wash your hands thoroughly, and use a separate cutting board that you use only for poultry to avoid cross contamination.
2. Put raw (sliced) chicken on a styrofoam plate. That way, after putting the chicken in the wok, you can just throw the plate away.
3. Adjust the heat by lessening or adding more red pepper flakes.
4. Don't put a lot of corn starch as it would form clumps in the wok making it harder for you to stir.