KONG BAO JI DING

KONG BAO JI DING

This recipe first appeared in an ad for Tyson's chicken breasts and Planter's cocktail peanuts.  I made it a couple of times a month for years while the kids were growing up, so it had to be included in the new cookbook.  When I made it last night, Steve and I remembered how much we enjoyed it, too.  It's simple, takes very little time, and you really can't go wrong.

INGREDIENTS:            

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes

2 egg whites

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoons crushed red peppers

1 cup scallions, cut into 1” pieces

1 cup salted peanuts

2 cups canola oil

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 Tablespoons sherry

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Beat the egg whites with a whisk until they are frothy, then stir in 2 T soy sauce, 2 T cornstarch, and chicken cubes.  Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

In a wok, heat the canola oil to 375°F.  Stir chicken mixture and spoon individual pieces into the hot oil, cooking in batches so they don’t stick together too much.  

When they are brown, remove them to paper towels to drain while you do the next batches.     

Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons of oil from the wok.  Add red pepper and cooked chicken; stir fry 1 minute.  Add sauce to chicken mixture and stir until the sauce thickens, which is usually 15-30 seconds. 

Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions and peanuts.  Serve over rice.

Serves 4.

Blog entry 10/16/14.