Kung Pao Chicken

 

My oldest has a severe peanut allergy, so we live peanut free.  My youngest has a sympathy peanut allergy and won't touch peanut anything yet my middle gobbles up everything with a peanut.  My husband's favorite Chinese dish just happens to be Kung Pao Chicken, ugh.  What to do?  Pine nuts on the side Kung Pao Chicken and it worked.

marinated chicken

sun dried chili from my garden

Kung Pao Chicken

from Mark Bittman

The Best Recipes in the World

adapted

1/2t cornstarch
1T shaoxing wine (what I used) or dry sherry
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 chunks
3T safflower oil
5 dried chilies
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
1t sugar
3T soy sauce
1t dark sesame oil
4 scallion, trimmed and chopped
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

~ whisk cornstarch into the wine until it dissolves
~ coat the chicken pieces with the mixture
~ heat large cast iron skillet over medium high heat
~ add the chiles and cook stirring occasionally until slightly blackened about 5 minutes
~ add garlic and ginger and cook about 10 seconds
~ stir in the chicken and stir constantly until it loses it's pinkness about 5 minutes
~ turn the heat down to low
~ sprinkle some sugar over the chicken
~ stir in the soy sauce and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
~ remove from the heat and then stir in sesame oil and scallions
~ serve pine nuts on the side

from my garden: scallions and chilies