Did you know that yesterday was National Fried Chicken day? While the person who came up with that one probably had deep-fried chicken on the brain, we took it to mean chicken of the stir-fried variety. So we came up with this Kung Pao Chicken recipe. And while the ingredient list is long, the actual preparation is easy, so what are you waiting for?
If you’re still not convinced, we made this recipe with LiberTerre chicken thighs because they are flavourful and stay nice and juicy. We also find that less time is needed to marinade because the thigh takes in the marinade fairly quickly. What’s more, LiberTerre chickens are Canadian raised, Certified Humane™ and Halal certified. They’re also raised without antibiotics, grain fed and air chilled; the list goes on and on! We’ll stop boasting about them we promise, but they really are so good (check out the bottom of this post to find retailers that sell LiberTerre chicken).
So enjoy your Kung Pao Chicken, and don’t forget to send us pictures of your creations!
Take-Out Style Kung Pao Chicken
Ready in: 35 Mins
Prep Time: 25 Mins
Cook Time: 10 Mins
Ingredients
1 lb LiberTerre chicken thighs
Marinade for Chicken
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp soy sauce
½ egg white
Ingredients for Stir-Fry
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
1 tbsp ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
6 green onions
2 tbsp peanuts (cashews or pine nuts work too)
8 dried chilies (seeds removed)
Chili flakes/seeds and salt to taste
Stir-Fry Sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp black Chinese vinegar
½ tsp corn starch
Directions
- Prepare the Marinade
Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Prepare the marinade by combining all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and set aside to let it marinate for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the Stir-Fry Ingredients
Put each ingredient into its own small bowl. Cut the bottoms of your green onions into one inch pieces, reserving the dark green ends for garnish. Set aside. Wipe your dried red chilies with a damp paper towel. Using a knife, cut a slit into the pepper lengthwise and empty the seeds into a bowl and set aside (repeat with remaining peppers). Set aside all stir-fry ingredients.
- Prepare Stir-Fry Sauce
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Sauté
Bring a non-stick wok to low heat, add three tablespoons of oil to the wok and once heated, add your Sichuan peppercorns (this will infuse the flavour of the peppercorns into the oil). Sauté the peppercorns for about 5 minutes and then, while reserving the oil in the wok, remove the peppercorns and discard.
- Fry & Assemble
Turn your wok to medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the ginger, garlic, dry red chilies, green onions and peanuts. Stir-fry for about 7 minutes and when the chicken is almost done, add in your sauce and stir well to thicken the sauce. Taste for desired saltiness and spiciness before adding any extra chili flakes or salt. Plate and serve with a side of white rice. Garnish with green onions.
Find LiberTerre Chicken thighs at these great locations: Eddie’s Meat & Deli Market, Goodness Me! Natural Food Market, Fiesta Farms, Galleria Supermarket, Garden Foods, The Garden Basket, Vince’s Country Market and T&T Supermarket
