Basic ingredients
Substitutions
- Dark Soy Sauce — adds beautiful caramel color and flavor to the sauce! Substitute with a mixture of regular soy sauce, molasses, and water
- Chinese black vinegar — a good quality balsamic vinegar can be used instead.
- Chinese wine (Shaoxing) — to substitute with dry sherry, gin, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar
- Sweet peppers- With celery, sliced carrots and/or zucchini
- Szechuan peppercorns - not easy to replace the unique heat and flavor of these peppercorns but many have used a combination of freshly ground black pepper and freshly ground coriander seeds.
- Chinese dried red chili’s - Thai red chilies or dried chili flakes
Recipe
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
For the quick marinade
- 1½ lb of boneless/skinless chicken thighs cut into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch / cornflour
For the sauce
- ½ cup of chicken broth or water
- 6 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar (or substitute balsamic vinegar)
- 2 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce like sambal oelek or Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
For the stir fry
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil divided
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and ground (if available)
- 6 cloves of garlic minced or grated
- 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 8-10 dried chilies cut into ½-inch pieces (I would halve the amount for a milder flavor)
- 4 green onions/scallion stems cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup Texas roasted and salted Peanuts, shells removed (plus more for serving)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil optional
- Rice or noodles to serve
Directions
- In a medium bowl toss the chicken with the marinade ingredients, cover, and allow to marinate at least 10 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl combine and whisk all the sauce ingredients making sure the sugar has dissolved
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium/high heat. Add marinated chicken and pan-fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until edges are slightly browned. Move to one side of the pan.
- Add remaining cooking oil to the empty side of the hot pan. Stir in garlic, ginger, chilis, peppercorns if using, diced peppers, and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Whisk the sauce and then pour it into the pan and bring it to a boil while stirring.
- The sauce will start to thicken, mix all of the ingredients through the sauce until everything is evenly coated and the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in green onions, peanuts, and sesame oil. Toss well and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately with rice or noodles.
Adapted from Cafe Delites and Recipe Tin Eats
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