Diced Chicken and Peanuts Sautéed with Dried Chiles
SERVES 4 – 6 This Sichuan dish is only moderately spicy. 1 tbsp. cornstarch 4 tbsp. soy sauce 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed 3 tbsp. shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) 2 tbsp. sugar 3 tbsp. chicken stock 4 tsp. chiangang (Chinese black vinegar) or balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil 2 tsp. Chinese dark soy sauce 3 tbsp. peanut oil 12 dried hot red chiles, stemmed, halved crosswise, and seeded 4 scallions, white part only, thickly sliced crosswise 1 large clove garlic, peeled, ends trimmed off, and thinly sliced 1/2" piece ginger, peeled and minced 1/2 cup shelled raw skinless peanuts 1. Mix together cornstarch and 1 tbsp. of the soy sauce in a medium bowl, add chicken, toss well, and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the remaining 3 tbsp. soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, stock, vinegar, sesame oil, and dark soy sauce. Set aside. 2. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add chiles and stir-fry until chicken is golden, 3-5 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture and stir-fry until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in peanuts.
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