Sunday, July 29, 2012

Wok Wednesdays: Kung Pao Chicken

This summer has been wonderful, but busier than I ever expected. When I joined Wok Wednesdays I felt sure there would be plenty of time to stir-fry the dishes and blog about them. Instead, I've been busy getting my older daughter ready for her first year of college, I received a surprise job offer and now we are all enthralled by the Olympics.  Whew. Thus I am late posting, but oh so glad I got around to making this dish.

Kung Pao chicken is one of my favorite dishes. Now I can make it. Yay.  We have delicate palates so we do not like a lot of spice. I used two dried chilis instead of the four to eight called for in the recipe. For us, that was just the right amount of heat.

I also did not use all Sichuan peppercorns. I bought a jar of assorted peppercorns thinking I could just open the jar and pick out the pink ones. That didn't work, so I used a mixture. Still, this dish was a big success with the family.



We have a "no posting" rule in our blogging group so you won't find the recipe here, but you can read about others' experiences cooking Kung Pao Chicken here.  To find the recipe, you can buy the book "Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge" here. 

Posted by at

8 comments:

  1. Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake YourselfJuly 30, 2012 at 3:46 AM

    This dish looks delicious and I love the karate name :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    ReplyDelete
  2. SarahJuly 30, 2012 at 4:29 PM

    It doesn't sound like you used sichuan peppercorns at all, I've never seen them in a mix, and they're not at all related to black peppercorns (or the pink or white ones). Still, glad it turned out for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JudyJuly 30, 2012 at 4:54 PM

      You are probably right. I think next time a trip to the local Asian market is in order.

      Delete
  3. Cathleen | My Culinary MissionJuly 30, 2012 at 9:28 PM

    Congrats on the job offer! This was a fabulous dish. Sichuan peppercorns are very different. This is the first time I have used them. They are not at all spicy and very floral in scent. I however did not get the numbing effect that others speak of. I have never had Kung Pao Chicken before this. How does it compare to what you have had in the passt?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JudyJuly 30, 2012 at 10:05 PM

      Thanks. I liked this Kung Pao (and not just because I made it.) It was a cleaner dish than what I'm used to ordering in a restuarant -- fewer ingredients and less fussy. The sauce here was thinner and not as thick as when I've had it in the past. Also, Grace Young uses red peppers; I've had the dish when they added carrots and broccoli. At any rate, I really liked this dish.

      Delete
  4. UnknownJuly 31, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    Didn't know about this group! Sure sounds like fun!!! This looks great! And congrats on the job ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JudyJuly 31, 2012 at 6:52 PM

      Thanks. This group is fun and stir-frying is perfect for summer cooking. Anyone can join...

      Delete
  5. Mary HirschAugust 7, 2012 at 6:13 PM

    I joined Wok Wednesday also, Judy, and Kung Pao Chicken was my first recipe. It was delicious and I was happy with the result. Then, after posting, I got so busy, I never returned to the Site so didn't read any Comments. Yours looks very good. I am going to do the Shrimp tonight and will be a more active participant this week.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)