Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 large egg whites
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 cups peanut oil
- 6 dried red chiles
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted peanuts
- 6 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup chicken stock or canned chicken broth
- 1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 5 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken, egg whites, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch. Mix well.
- Place a large wok over high heat until hot. Add peanut oil. When oil is very hot, remove wok from heat and immediately add chicken pieces, stirring to keep them from sticking. When the pieces are white on all sides, after 2 to 3 minutes, drain them and all the oil through a stainless-steel colander in a heatproof bowl. Reserve 5 tablespoons of the oil, and discard remainder.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/3 cup water; mix well and set aside. Reheat wok with reserved oil. When very hot, add chiles and stir-fry until slightly blackened. Add peanuts, garlic, scallions and ginger, and stir-fry until lightly browned.
- Add chicken pieces, stock, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Mix well, and stir in cornstarch mixture. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to low and let mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix again, and serve.
Full Article
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
This recipe is adapted from the great Chinese-American chef Ken Hom, for a Sichuan stir-fry is made with chunks of boneless chicken (breasts or thighs, though we prefer thighs), peanuts, chile peppers and plenty of garlic, scallions and ginger. Making it is not at all difficult, but it does require one fussy step: The chicken takes a dip into a combination of egg white, salt, sesame oil and cornstarch before it goes into the hot wok. This step creates a lovely crust on the chicken that sears in moisture and later serves to hold onto the savory-sweet soy-sesame sauce. The dish is quite spicy, so serve it over rice or plain pasta to foil the heat, alongside an ice cold beer. —Alex Witchel