Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

• 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs – cut into 0.75-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce – for marinade
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine – for marinade
• 1 tbsp cornstarch – for marinade
• 0.25 tsp kosher salt – for marinade
• 1.5 tbsp sugar – for sauce
• 1.5 tbsp black vinegar (Chinkiang) – for sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce – for sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce – for sauce
• 0.25 cup water – for sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch – for sauce
• 4 each scallions – cut into 1-inch pieces; whites and greens separated
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 tbsp ginger – minced
• 3 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns – lightly crushed
• 12 pieces dried red chiles – snipped into 1-inch pieces; most seeds discarded
• 0.5 cup roasted peanuts

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken thighs with light soy sauce (for marinade), Shaoxing wine (for marinade), cornstarch (for marinade), and kosher salt; toss well and let stand 15 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, black vinegar (Chinkiang), light soy sauce (for sauce), dark soy sauce, water, and cornstarch (for sauce) until smooth; set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add the peanut oil, then the Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chiles; stir-fry until fragrant and the chiles deepen slightly in color, 30–45 seconds (do not burn).
4. Add the marinated meat and stir-fry over high heat until nearly cooked through and lightly browned at the edges, 3–4 minutes.
5. Add the ginger and garlic, then the whites from the scallions (cut into 1-inch pieces); stir-fry until aromatic, 30–60 seconds.
6. Stir the sauce to recombine and pour it into the wok; cook, tossing constantly, until it thickens and glazes the meat, 1–2 minutes, and the meat is just cooked through.
7. Fold in the roasted peanuts and the reserved greens; toss 20–30 seconds. Serve immediately with steamed rice if desired.