Poultry Recipes - Kung Po Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 egg white

• 10ml/2 tsp corn flour (cornstarch)

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp salt

• 2-3 skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into neat pieces

• 30ml/2 tbsp yellow salted beans

• 15ml/1 tbsp hoisin sauce

• 5ml/1 tsp soft light brown sugar

• 15ml/1 tbsp dry sherry

• 15ml/1 tbsp wine vinegar

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 150ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup chicken stock

• 45ml/3 tbsp sunflower oil

• 2-3 dried chilies, broken into small pieces

• 115g/4oz/1 cup roasted cashew nuts

• fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish

Serves 3

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Method:

1. Lightly whisk the egg white in a dish, whisk in the corn flour and salt, then add the chicken and stir until coated.

2. In a separate bowl, mash the salted beans with a spoon. Stir in the hoisin sauce, brown sugar, dry sherry, vinegar, garlic and chicken stock.

3. Heat a wok. add the oil and then stir-fry the chicken, turning constantly for about 2 minutes until tender. Either drain the chicken over a bowl to collect excess oil, or lift out each piece with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the wok.

4. Heat the reserved oil and fry the chili pieces for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the wok and pour in the bean sauce mixture. Bring to the boil and stir in the cashew nuts.

5. Spoon into a heated serving dish, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Note: This recipe, which hails from the Sichuan region of western China, has become one of the classic recipes in the Chinese repertoire. The combination of yellow salted beans and hoisin, spiked with chili and softened with cashews, makes for a very tasty and spicy sauce.