Authentic Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

After trying out a new Sichuan restaurant here in town, I remembered how much I love spicy Chinese cuisine.  Nothing is more quintessentially spicy Chinese than Sichuan (Szechuan) food.  One of the more famous dishes in this type of cuisine is Kung Pao chicken.  Now, don’t be fooled into thinking that American Chinese Kung Pao chicken is authentic!  Many recipes call for using, among other things, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup.  I’ve put together a pretty authentic recipe below that will be as close as you can get to genuine Sichuan chicken.  Enjoy!

A note on ingredients
This is a dish that depends on the real ingredients below for the right flavor.  You can use some substitutes if necessary, but its certainly worth a trip to your local asian grocer to find the real things.

One thing to note about Sichuan Pepper (alternatively Szechuan Flower Pepper, Szechuan Peppercorns) is that they were banned in the US until about 2005, so can be somewhat difficult to find.  This amazing spice provides a lot of the unique flavor for the dish, so use it if you can find it.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless chicken thigh meat
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• 6-8 dried red sichuan chillis
• 1/2 pound mushrooms (white or crimini work well), quartered
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Sichuan Pepper
• 2 tbsp oil for cooking

For the marinade:

• 2 tsp dark soy sauce (tamari)
• 2 tsp Michiu rice wine (a chinese cooking wine)
• 1 tsp Sesame oil

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp Michiu
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Cooking Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into small cubes and combine with the marinade.  Let site for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the vegetables.  Slice the chillis into 1/2 segments and remove the seeds.  Combine the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large wok or frying pan on high heat.
4. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, chillis and Sichuan pepper.  Cook for about 30 seconds, until the garlic and chillis are fragrant.
5. Add the chicken, and cook for 3-5 minutes.
6. Once the chicken is opaque on the outside, add the bell pepper, onions and mushrooms and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.
7. Before the vegetables are completely cooked, add the sauce and the peanuts, and reduce the sauce for a couple of minutes more.
8. Once the ingredients have completed cooking, add the green onions and remove from the heat.
9. Serve with immediately with rice.

Chicken Waterzooi

One of the things I remember most about my time in Belgium, aside from the beer, was the chicken stew they call Waterzooi.  The national dish of Belgium, chicken waterzooi is popular and widely available, and was the perfect meal on a rainy day.  It has been rainy in my neck of the woods recently, perfect stew weather, so I decided to give it a try.  Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 Whole chicken (3-4 pounds)
• 2 leeks
• 2 onions
• 4 large carrots
• 1 pound (16 oz) mushrooms
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Slice 1 leek, 2 carrots and 1 onion into large pieces.  Rinse off the chicken and place in a large stock pot with the leeks and the carrots and onion.  Add the bay leaves and thyme and 1 tablespoon of the pepper.  Turn on medium and bring to a boil.
2. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes, or until poached and not pink can be seen under the skin.  Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.
3. Strain the remaining vegetables from the pot, reserving the stock.
4. Slice the remaining carrots, leek, mushrooms and onion into small pieces.
5. Heat the olive oil in the stock pot on medium-high heat.  Add the onions and leeks and saute for 5 minutes, or until soft.
6. Add the carrots and mushrooms and the remaining salt, pepper and reserved chicken stock.
7. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, once the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and pick the cooked meat off the bones.  For an authentic Belgian feel, remove the chicken in long strips by peeling along the bias.
9. Once the vegetables have cooked, add the chicken to the pot and cook for 5 minutes more.
10. Add the butter and cream, stirring to incorporate.
11. To serve, ladle the soup in wide bowls, and squeeze a wedge of lemon over the top.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I love tacos.  They are one of the few perfect foods – both delicious and handy.  I used to buy the packaged taco seasoning at whole foods to add some flavor to the ground beef, but after a little experimentation, I’ve come up with a recipe for a damn good taco seasoning you can make at home for much cheaper.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (preferably no more than 16% fat)
• 3-4 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon salt (may use more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons salsa (any kind will do)
• 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce
• 1/4 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ground beef and saute until the meet is cooked.
3. Add the spices and the water to the pan and stir to combine with the meat.
4. Continue cooking and stirring until the water has cooked off, about 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.