Linda Evans’ Kung-Bau Chicken with Peanuts

This recipe is courtesy of Linda Evans from her book “Food for Life.” To purchase her book click here. To visit Linda’s website click here.

Ingredients
2 cups oil
1∕3 cup raw skinless peanuts
CHICKEN MIXTURE (MIX AND MARINATE IN A BOWL)*
1 1⁄2 lbs boned, skinless chicken breasts: cut into 1∕3-inch cubes (to make 1 cup)
1⁄4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
1⁄2 egg white
4 dried chili peppers: tear into small pieces, do not discard seeds
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger root
2 scallions: cut into pea-sized pieces, including green part
SAUCE MIXTURE (MIX IN A BOWL)*
2 tablespoons black soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese Shaohsing wine or pale dry sherry
2 teaspoons Chinese red vinegar or cider vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
1⁄2 teaspoon cornstarch
Plain Rice (recipe follows)

What To Do
Mix nine ingredients under “Chicken Ingredients” and marinade.

Mix seven ingredients under “Sauce Mixture.”

Heat oil in wok and deep-fry peanuts until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Reheat oil in wok and add chicken mixture. Stir to separate pieces. Briskly blanch chicken pieces until they just turn white. Remove with a drainer or slotted spoon to a bowl.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the wok. Heat oil. Slightly brown chili peppers. Add ginger and scallions, and stir-fry until they turn golden. Stir in sauce mixture. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened. Put the chicken back into the wok. Mix well. Stir-fry briefly to reheat. Add the peanuts. Mix well and put on a serving platter. Serve hot.
*This sign means that portion of the recipe can be prepared several hours in advance.

PLAIN RICE – MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS OF RICE
Ingredients
2 cups long-grain rice: wash and rinse in cold water until water is not cloudy, drain
3 cups cold water

What To Do
Use a 3-quart pot with a tight lid. Put in the washed rice and add the water. Cook over medium heat without a cover. When it is boiling, you will see that the water is very foamy, almost obscuring the rice. Do not go away! Stand by and watch it closely. You will see the water evaporating to the point where many small holes (like craters) appear in the rice. The Chinese call them rice eyes.

Put the lid on, turn heat to very low, and cook for 10 minutes. Then turn off heat, but do not remove the pot or uncover it. Let it stay covered for 15 minutes or more. (Do not peek during this 25 minutes! Otherwise the magic steam will escape; you will have half-cooked rice for not having faith!)

Remove the cover. Loosen the rice with a fork or chopsticks. Serve hot.