This is my version of kung pao chicken – a Sichuan dish that I have never tasted. Armed with my lack of knowledge and a fervor only seen previously in Russian ballet circles, I have set forth to make this dish my own.

I’ve looked at a few recipes and then played around with a few things to create a sauce, and then I chucked a pile of crack chicken pieces into that and voila – my kung pao chicken.

KUNG PAO CRACK CHICKEN

(serves 4 – 6)

600 – 800 g chicken thigh fried up like popcorn chicken (wherever that recipe is)

Sauce
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 knob ginger, grated on a micro plane or finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
6 dried long red chilli
1 cup chook stock, or water if you gotta
½ cup light soy sauce
¼ cup shao xing cooking wine
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with ¼ cup of water to make a slurry

The rest of it
½ red capsicum, cut into 2 cm (1 in) dice
½ green capsicum, cut into 2 cm (1 in) dice
5 spring onions (scallions) cut into 2 cm (1 in) pieces, plus extra to garnish
½ cup peanuts (roasted, unsalted)

For sauce heat a splash of oil in a pot over medium flame.
Add garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute or two until fragrant.
Add all other sauce ingredients to pot and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat and set aside while you get the rest of the things ready.
Fry some popcorn chicken now.
Heat a splash of oil in a pan or wok over high flame.
Add capsicum and spring onions and toss for a minute.
Turn heat to down to medium.
Add sauce to vegetables and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add popcorn chicken and peanuts and simmer for another minute.
Garnish with chopped spring onions.
Serve immediately with steamed rice and prawn crackers.