Recipe ingredients and directions:
This is a recipe for Gong Bao Ji from the Kunming area of China.
1 cup chicken meat cut into small (1 cm.) dice
1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour in UK)
1 cup chopped cut) carrots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup peanuts
1 tsp hot chili paste
1 tablespoon fermented bean paste
1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
Mix the corn starch with a little cold water to dissolve and mix
with raw chicken. Set aside while you chop the carrots and garlic
(about 5 to 10 minutes).
Heat a wok to medium temperature and pour a little peanut oil into
it. Add the chicken mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until it is pale white on the outside with a few bits
of pink still showing. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Raise the heat under the wok to very high (a drop of water should
evaporate on contact at the edge and should form a bead at the
center). Pour a circle of oil (enough to coat the bottom of the
wok) into the wok. You should get some smoke.
Toss in the bean paste and the chili paste and stir to mix with
the oil.
Add the garlic and stir. Add the carrots and stir-fry for a minute
or two. Add the peanuts.
Stir in the reserved chicken and add some dark soy sauce (one or
two splashes). Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and
the carrots are crisp yet tender.
Serve with lots of steamed rice and tea.
Variations: Many U.S. versions add celery to this recipe. I
recommend slicing celery on a diagonal and adding it between the
peanuts and the chicken. You could also add onions or bok choy
without throwing the balance of dish out of whack. I don’t recommend
adding broccoli or other green veggies though.
Ingredient Notes: For the hot chili paste, I recommend the vietnamese
chili-garlic paste that comes in the clear jar with the bright
green lid. The bean paste can be any brand, but should be "bean
paste" not "preserved black beans." I particularly like the kind
with garlic in it. Finally, this is a recipe that absolutely
requires "dark" soy sauce. Kikkoman’s just won’t work. I a
recommend a dark mushroom soy.
Category: Asian Recipes