From my experience living in China, there are two versions of Gong Bao Chicken, one looks more orangie because of the ketchup, the other one looks dark from the dark soy sauce. So today I am making the dark version. I like the savory taste from dark and light soy sauce, in combination with pinch of numbness from Sichuan Pepper. The dried chilies I am using are not very spicy, it is more of decorations (of course it depends on which brand you use). This dish definitely reminds me a lot of my Jing’s time.
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2-3
INGREDIENTS
400 g Chicken breast, cut into chunk
1 tbsp Corn starch
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese wine
100 g Peanuts, roasted
1 tbsp Sichuan pepper, roasted and grinded
2 handful Dried chilies, chopped
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Ginger, minced
1 tbsp Doubanjiang
2 tbsp Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Light soy sauce
4 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 pcs. Spring onion, cut into 3 cm
1 tbsp Corn starch
2 tbsp water
DIRECTION
- Roast Sichuan pepper on low-medium heat for about 3-4 minutes and grind.
- Roast peanuts on medium for about 3-4 minutes until it becomes slightly brown.
- Mix the chicken with 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp Chinese wine.
- On a heated pan/wok, add in the vegetable oil and fry the chicken until it’s golden brown. Set aside.
- Heat the wok/pan again with vegetable oil on high heat. Throw in garlic, ginger, dried chili, and grinded Sichuan pepper. Sauté for a few second until its fragrant.
- Add in the fried chicken. Season with the rest of sauce and spring onion. Mix them well.
- Lastly, thicken the sauce with mixed corn starch and water. Turn off the heat, mix them well, add the roasted peanuts, and ready to serve.
