“Kung Pao” Chicken with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Kung Pao Chicken is top of our list for most delicious Americanized Chinese food. With juicy chunks of chicken, crunchy celery, and peanuts, all tossed together in a savory and spicy sauce, Kung Pao Chicken makes for a texturally satisfying feast. What makes the dish even better is how easy it is to make. All you have to do is stir-fry the ingredients together until just cooked. To our delight, we discovered that our very own Spicy Garlic Sauce serves as a great base for the dish since it is loaded with plenty of garlic and chilies. Looks like we’ve got a new easy weekday crowd pleaser on our hands.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 5 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons sherry

• 4 tablespoons Spicy Garlic Sauce

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

• 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

• 1/3 cup water

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

• 1/2 cup peanuts

• 3 stalks of celery, diced

• 2 large carrots, diced

• 4 scallions, white bulbs and green tops cut separately into 1/2-inch pieces

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the soy sauce, sherry, Spicy Garlic Sauce, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

2. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes. In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat.

3. Add the peanuts and stir-fry until light brown, about 30 seconds.

4. Remove from the pan.

5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

6. Add the white part of the scallions, carrots, and celery to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.

7. Add the chicken with its marinade and cook, stirring, until almost done, 1 to 2 minutes.

8. Add scallion tops and simmer until the chicken is just done, about 1 minute longer.

9. Stir in the peanuts.

10. Serve with white or brown rice.

Enjoy!