Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

Serves 3-4,

• 250g                            chicken fillet or boneless chicken leg, cut into small cubes
• 1/3 teaspoon               salt
• 1 tablespoon                Chinese cooking wine
• 1 teaspoon                  corn flour
• 1 teaspoon                   cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons              skinless peanuts
• 1 teaspoon                   Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon                garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon                ginger, minced
• 8~10                             dried red chili, roughly chopped
•  1-2                              leek (only white part), cut into small sections. Try to get 2 small-size of leek if possible. If not, just use 1 big-size one. Slice them into small pieces of 1.5 cm in length. Split the big-size one then slice it into the same length. 大葱切宵 段（只用葱白）
• 3 tablespoons              cooking oil

 Seasoning Sauce

• ½ tablespoon              dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon               light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon               corn flour
• 1 tablespoon               Chinkiang vinegar
• 2 tablespoons             water in room temperature
• 2 teaspoons                caster sugar

Method

1. Cut the chicken into one -bite size cubes. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and marinating with 1/3 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, 1 teaspoon of corn flour and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil.
2. Prepare a medium size bowl, combine all the ingredients for the Seasoning Sauce. Mix well. Set aside.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in the work. Place peanuts immediately when oil is still cold. Stir fry the peanuts over LOW heat for 2 minutes. Transfer cooked peanuts out. Add Szechuan peppercorns in the remaining oil in the wok over LOW heat. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Skim and remove the cooked peppercorns if you feel them annoying when enjoying the food later. (Be sure of using low heat and be patient. Over-fried peppercorns bring a bitter taste.) Now add garlic, ginger and dried chili until fragrant. Then add HALF of the leek sections in for a minute.
4. Now turn to HIGH heat and quickly place all the chicken cubes in the wok and stir fry for 1-2 minute.
5. Stir in the seasoning sauce. Mix well with rest of the ingredients until the sauce is well coated. Add the cooked peanuts and remaining HALF of leek white sections. This process should take about less than 1 minute. You will need to move fast to avoid the chicken being overcooked.
6. Transfer out on a plate and serve with rice.

Tips

1. Cooking the sliced leek allows you enjoying the deep fragrance as well as the crunchiness and sweetness of the leek produced by different stages of the cooking.