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Recipes

Adam Liaw’s Gong Bao Chicken

This adaptation of the spicy Sichuan dish is the creation of Masterchef Australia winner, Adam Liaw.

Serves: 1-2

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1-2 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
¼ cup water
1 tsp corn flour
2 tbsp peanut oil
12 large or 15-20 small dried red chillies
2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 bunch (cut into 1.5cm lengths) spring onions
½ cup shelled roasted peanuts
2 (cut into 1.5cm cubes) chicken breasts
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method

Combine the marinade ingredients, add the chicken cubes and set aside. Separately, mix together the sauce ingredients. Remove the stalks from the chillies and shake out the seeds from the centre. If using large red chillies cut them into large chunks, or if using smaller chillies then keep them whole.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium heat and add in the chillies and Sichuan pepper corns, stir-frying for just a few seconds while the peppercorns pop and the chillies crisp in the oil.

Add in the chicken and keep it moving so that it doesn’t colour too much. As soon as the chicken turns opaque on its surface, add the garlic, ginger and spring onions. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked, then add the sauce and toss for a minute or so until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Because this dish uses chicken breast (a rarity for stir-fried dishes) in very small pieces, it is important that the chicken is cooked quickly so that it remains tender. Stir in the roasted peanuts and serve.

Tip: if you’re having trouble sourcing the Chinese ingredients in your local supermarket, try one of these stores stocking exotica.

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