Chef Yan Celebrates Lunar New Year with Firecracker Chicken

Описание: Celebrate Lunar New Year with Chef Martin Yan as he brings the heat with his signature Firecracker Chicken (Kung Pao Chicken)! In this video, Chef fires up the wok and shares pro tips for mastering this iconic Lunar New Year dish. If Yan can cook, so can you!

Yields 6 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
1¾ lbs (about 3–4 cups) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced into ½-inch pieces
1¾ oz soy sauce (about 3½ tablespoons)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ oz Shaoxing rice wine (about 3 tablespoons; substitute dry sherry if needed)
1⅔ tablespoons cornstarch

For the Sauce:
1½ oz soy sauce (about 3 tablespoons)
1½ oz black vinegar (about 3 tablespoons; substitute balsamic vinegar if needed)
1 oz sugar (about 2 tablespoons)

For Cooking:
¾ teaspoon dried arbol chili peppers, de-seeded and de-stemmed (or use any dried red chili)
½ oz Szechuan peppercorns (about 1 tablespoon; optional for numbing heat)
4¾ oz blended oil (about 9 tablespoons; use vegetable or peanut oil)
1½ oz Shaoxing rice wine (about 3 tablespoons)
12 oz dry roasted unsalted peanuts (about 2 cups)
2 oz green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces (about ½ cup)

Cornstarch Slurry:
1½ oz cornstarch (about 3 tablespoons)
1⅔ tablespoons cold water

Instructions
Make the Cornstarch Slurry:
1. Mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 1⅔ tablespoons cold water until smooth. Set aside.

Marinate the Chicken:
1. In a bowl, combine diced chicken thighs, 3½ tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 3 tablespoons rice wine and 1⅔ tablespoons cornstarch. Mix well to coat.
2. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Prepare the Sauce:
1. In a separate bowl, mix 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons black vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Toast the Spices:
1. Heat a wok or large skillet over low heat.
2. Add dried chili peppers and toast for 1 minute.
3. Add Szechuan peppercorns and toast for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Make the Chili Oil:
1. Pour in the oil and gently heat until it turns red and smells aromatic.

Cook the Chicken:
1. Turn the heat up to medium-high.
2. Add the marinated chicken and stir fry for 1 minute.
3. Pour in 3 tablespoons rice wine and continue cooking, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165°F), about 5 minutes.

Finish the Dish:
1. Add the prepared sauce, peanuts and green onions. Stir to coat everything evenly.

Thicken the Sauce:
1. Pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly.
2. Cook until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken, about 30 seconds.