CNY Chef: Kung Pao Chicken From The Opposite House's Jing Yaa Tang
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My colleague, and one of my favorite food writers, Robynne Tindall, has a super cute Instagram bio: “Woman shall not live by 宫保鸡丁 alone.”
No offense, Tindall, but if I’ve got to eat one local dish for the rest of my life, Kung Pao chicken isn’t too shabby a choice.
The one-Michelin-star restaurant Jing Yaa Tang at The Opposite House is better known for its Peking duck and unlimited dim sum, but a guest favorite has always been their Kung Pao chicken. It’s one of those dishes with pretty basic ingredients that, once mastered, can always be whipped up fairly easily to impress guests. And no matter how well-versed you are in Chinese cuisine, Kung Pao chicken is a dish that’s made its way to every corner of the world.
Here’s how you can make it at home.
Main ingredients:
200g Diced chicken thigh
50g Diced green onion
25g Cooked peanuts
25g Cooked cashew nuts
5g Sliced garlic
5g Sliced ginger
5g Dried chili
Other Ingredients
A. Salt (2g), rice wine (5g), sugar (1g), egg (1/3), corn flour (6g)
B. Sugar (30g), salt (3g), rice vinegar (50g), corn flour (10g)
Method
1. Mix and pickle the diced chicken thigh with marinade (ingredients A).
2. Heat the oil in a heated wok first, and fry the pickled chicken and diced green onion until the chicken is cooked.
3. Cook the sliced garlic and ginger, add the dried red chili segment, add the cooked chicken and onion, and then stir-fry the cooked peanuts, cashew nuts and seasoning (ingredients B).
Tips
1. Cook the fried chicken and diced onion for one minute to elevate the taste.
2. Turn off the fire when adding the peanuts and cashew nuts to keep them crispy.
Ok, so maybe Robynne has a point. Woman shall not live on 宫保鸡丁 alone. If you’re looking for a wider variety of delicious local favorites, head over to Jing Yaa Tang this Chinese New Year holiday to enjoy the whole spectrum of flavors.
Jing Yaa Tang
Open daily from 12-2.30pm and 6-10.30pm during CNY
B1/F, The Opposite House, Taikooli North, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District. (6410 5230)
三里屯路11号太古里北区地下1层
READ: CNY Chef: Spicy Thai Pork Dumplings by The Hutong's Sophia Du
Images courtesy of Jing Yaa Tang
