KUNG PAO CHICKEN BOWL

Bowls have been popular for a while now and there are new places popping up here all the time. They are convenient and mostly healthy. But I like to make this version at home because it’s really easy and I have all of the sauce ingredients in my pantry already, since I make Asian dishes often. If you prep the sauce in advance, this dish comes together in just a few minutes. You can switch this up easily to make it General Chicken or Sesame Chicken by adding broccoli and/or sesame seeds in place of bell peppers. And if you’ve never used Shao Xing wine, I highly recommend buying a bottle. It is one of the secret ingredients in most Asian dishes that make things taste good and it only costs a couple of bucks.

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN:

Canola or grape-seed oil (or any neutral oil)

1lb. ground chicken

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger

1 tsp. szechwan peppercorns, crushed

4-6 whole dried chili de arbol

SAUCE:

3 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp. dark soy sauce*

1 tbsp. Shao Xing wine*

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup chicken broth or stock

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar or black vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. corn starch (mixed with 1 tbsp. hot water until dissolved)

1 tbsp. hoisin sauce

1 tbsp. oyster sauce

STIR FRY:

1 red bell pepper, large dice

1 scallion sliced, white and dark green pieces seperated

1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped

cilantro

Cooked jasmine rice to serve

DARK SOY NOTE: Dark soy sauce is thicker and sweeter than regular soy sauce. However, you can use an additional tbsp. of reduced-sodium soy sauce instead of dark soy sauce here.

SHAO XING NOTE: You can find this at your local Asian grocery store for $2-3 and it will last forever. If you cannot find it, sherry is often used as a substitute. But try to find it!

DIRECTIONS:

First, make the sauce by mixing all of the listed ingredients together with a whisk until well combined. To make this easier on yourself, I highly recommend making the sauce in advance. I sometimes make it the morning of, and take it out to let it sit at room temp for about 30 minutes to an hour before I need to use it, making sure to whisk it again.

Allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you prep the stir-fry ingredients. Then, when you’re ready, heat a dutch oven or pan over medium heat until the pan is warm. Then add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of your pan for a couple of minutes until hot. Add your chicken and press it into a large patty like a hamburger and allow it to cook for a few minutes undisturbed so that it can get lightly browned. Add salt and white pepper. Then stir it around, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon until just cooked through. Remove to a bowl or plate.

Add more oil to the pan and allow it to heat up. Add the garlic, ginger and szechwan peppercorns to the pan and, stirring constantly, allowing them to heat up and become fragrant. Add the whole dried chilis to the pan and allow them to toast. You can add your red bell pepper and white part of the scallions now and stir to combine, until they cook down a little.

Pour your sauce into the pan and let it start to come to a low boil, raising your heat if needed. Stir the sauce and allow it to cook a couple of minutes until it thickens up . Add back your chicken and stir until it’s well coated and heated all the way through. Now is a good time to taste and see if it needs more salt. Plate your dish over cooked rice and garnish with the green scallion, cilantro and peanuts. I like to finish with a little flake or kosher salt.