{recipe} Kung Pao Chicken & Broccoli

For the past couple of years, I have noticed that this recipe has become a pretty regular weeknight go-to, especially when I’m pressed for time. It is quick to put together and cooks up in less than 10 minutes, and it’s just what I want from homemade Chinese comfort food: a little sweet, a little spicy, a little salty, with a rich brown sauce. Throw some rice on the stove or into the rice cooker, and you’re good to go.

I originally started with a recipe I found in Saveur, but I have changed the recipe quite a bit because I could never find the kind of chiles the recipe called for, and I wanted to make it easier and less fussy and add broccoli, too. What I really gleaned from the original recipe is that the secret to this dish is something you wouldn’t expect: a bit of balsamic vinegar.

Hope you like it as much as I do!

P.S. You should be able to find Chinese shaoxing wine at an Asian market. You can substitute sake if you can’t find it. 

RECIPE: Kung Pao Chicken & Broccoli 
serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tblsp cornstarch
• 5 Tblsp soy sauce
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 Tblsp Chinese shaoxing wine (can substitute sake)
• 2 Tblsp sugar
• 3 Tblsp chicken broth
• 1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tblsp dark sesame oil
• 1/2 – 1 tsp chili flakes
• 3 Tblsp peanut oil
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated (I like to use a microplane grater)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup shelled skinless peanuts

METHOD:

• Put cornstarch and 1 Tblsp soy sauce in a bowl and mix together. Add chicken and mix together. Set aside and let sit about 10-15 minutes while you prepare everything else.
• In a bowl, combine remaining 4 Tblsp soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, and chili flakes and mix well.
• Heat peanut oil in a large wok or saute pan over high heat. Add garlic, ginger, broccoli, and chicken mixture. Cook, stirring and scraping the pan, for about 5 minutes until chicken is golden brown.
• Add sauce and cook, stirring, another 2-5 minutes, until sauce thickens. Add peanuts, stir in, and turn off heat.
• Serve immediately with rice.