Bone chicken thighs; remove and discard skin. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch pieces. Beat egg in medium bowl; add chicken. Sprinkle chicken with 1 1/2 T cornstarch; mix well. Stir in 1 T each soy sauce and peanut oil. Marinate at room temperature thirty minutes. Cut bamboo shoots into 3/4-inch cubes. Cut green onions into 3/4-inch pieces. Cut peppers into 1/2-inch pieces. Mix 2 t of cornstarch and the water in small bowl until smooth. Stir in 3 T soy sauce, the rice wine, vinegar, sugar, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil.

Heat wok over high heat fifteen seconds. Add 3 T peanut oil and heat until hot, about thirty seconds. Reduce heat to low. Add peppers; cook, stirring and pressing peppers against wok, until dark red, about ten seconds. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry ten seconds.

Increase heat to high. Scatter in chicken, about one quarter at a time. Stir-fry one minute after all chicken has been added. Add bamboo shoots; stir-fry one minute. Add green onions; stir-fry thirty seconds.

Stir cornstarch mixture; add to wok. Cook and stir until sauce thickens and coats chicken evenly, about thirty seconds. Add peanuts and turn off heat; stir mixture two or three times. Serve immediately.

*notes on ingredients
You may substitute American ingredients for many of the Chinese ones, such as sherry instead of rice wine, etc. However, the results won't quite be the same. Try going to an Asian market. Red peppers are quite potent. I have seen one version of Kung Pao chicken that called for ten dried peppers, but I'm not that brave. Do not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas after handling until you have a chance to wash your hands thoroughly. Also, make sure the peppers are not wet when you add them to oil, or they will put out fumes that are overpowering if not absolutely toxic. I added hoisin sauce to the original recipe for a little extra flavor, based on the fact that I saw it listed as an ingredient in another version of the dish. I haven't yet decided if it improves things. Kung Pao chicken is pretty flavorful as is.

From:
Posted By:Sandi F., Fayetteville, AR
Post Date: 2/13/98