Asian Takeout: Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice
This is the first in a series of MacGourmet.com exclusive recipes for Asian "Takeout" dishes. This is a series that will hopefully showcase recipes for the best of what is possible in dishes typically found in Asian takeout. There are many levels of Asian takeout quality and until you find some of the great places, you might not have any idea how GOOD this food can really be.
The first main dish in this series is Kung Pao Chicken. There is a local Chinese/Thai takeout place that makes one of the best Kung Pao Chicken dishes I've ever had. I've had this dish at SO many other restaurants, and they usually don't even come close to comparing to that served by East Asia (Powderhouse Square in Somerville, MA). Their dish is spicy and full of flavor, and this recipe attempts to approximate the dish they serve, to good effect I think. This recipe was built from a combination of 4 or 5 recipes for Kung Pao that I was able to find, none of which were exactly what I wanted.
Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients:
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
4 Whole Thai peppers, minced
¼ cup Peanuts, roasted
1 teaspoon Fresh ginger, minced
½ Green pepper, cubed
½ Red pepper, cubed
¼ cup Water chestnuts, sliced
¼ cup Mushrooms, sliced
2 Scallions, chopped
Peanut oil
Seasoning:
4 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or Sherry
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Corn starch
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
1 teaspoon White vinegar
Marinade:
1 ½ tablespoons
Corn starch
1 tablespoon Water
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
Directions:
Mix the chicken, water, cornstarch and soy sauce and marinate for 1/2 hour.
Mix the seasoning sauce and set aside.
Heat a little oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the chicken until it is cooked. Remove and set aside on paper towels.
Heat a little oil in a wok or large frying pan, stir fry the red and green peppers until they turn slightly black.
Add the fresh ginger and stir fry for about 10 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the seasoning sauce, stirring until thick.
Add the cooked chicken, stir until thoroughly heated.
Add scallions, chinese or thai peppers and cook for 1 minute.
Turn off the heat, add peanuts, mix well and serve.
Vegetarian Variation:
You can make this dish for vegetarians by simply substituting sauteed or steamed vegetables, or even tofu, for the chicken in this recipe.
(Serves 4)
To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.
Most places are a sure bet to have fried rice, pork fried rice and even chicken fried rice but I've found that it's sometimes hard to get vegetable fried rice. I've also felt that this is a better accompaniment to a chicken dish than pork fried rice is, when it's an option. This is a simple and tasty dish that isn't what some people think of as fried rice. This dish isn't so heavy in soy sauce that it's a dark brown. Instead it's light on the soy, but still has a big flavor. It also has 2 eggs scrambled into the mix, as any good fried rice should. This dish is inspired by my favorite Asian restaurant in San Francisco, Hunan Homes, on Jackson Street. It was created from 2 or 3 various other fried rice recipes I had.
Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups cold cooked white rice
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 green onion, sliced
Directions:
Microwave carrots and peas until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add cooked peas and carrots. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl.
Heat remaining oil in pan over high heat, break rice apart with wet hands and add to pan. Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Make a well in center of rice and pour in beaten eggs. Stir the eggs until they are scrambled then stir-fry the eggs into the rice until thoroughly blended.
Add soy sauce and chicken broth and stir fry for 3 more minutes. Gently add vegetable mixture, and scallions. Serve hot.
Vegetarian Variation:
You can make this dish for vegetarians by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
(Serves 4)
To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.
The first main dish in this series is Kung Pao Chicken. There is a local Chinese/Thai takeout place that makes one of the best Kung Pao Chicken dishes I've ever had. I've had this dish at SO many other restaurants, and they usually don't even come close to comparing to that served by East Asia (Powderhouse Square in Somerville, MA). Their dish is spicy and full of flavor, and this recipe attempts to approximate the dish they serve, to good effect I think. This recipe was built from a combination of 4 or 5 recipes for Kung Pao that I was able to find, none of which were exactly what I wanted.
Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients:
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
4 Whole Thai peppers, minced
¼ cup Peanuts, roasted
1 teaspoon Fresh ginger, minced
½ Green pepper, cubed
½ Red pepper, cubed
¼ cup Water chestnuts, sliced
¼ cup Mushrooms, sliced
2 Scallions, chopped
Peanut oil
Seasoning:
4 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or Sherry
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Corn starch
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
1 teaspoon White vinegar
Marinade:
1 ½ tablespoons
Corn starch
1 tablespoon Water
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
Directions:
Mix the chicken, water, cornstarch and soy sauce and marinate for 1/2 hour.
Mix the seasoning sauce and set aside.
Heat a little oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the chicken until it is cooked. Remove and set aside on paper towels.
Heat a little oil in a wok or large frying pan, stir fry the red and green peppers until they turn slightly black.
Add the fresh ginger and stir fry for about 10 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the seasoning sauce, stirring until thick.
Add the cooked chicken, stir until thoroughly heated.
Add scallions, chinese or thai peppers and cook for 1 minute.
Turn off the heat, add peanuts, mix well and serve.
Vegetarian Variation:
You can make this dish for vegetarians by simply substituting sauteed or steamed vegetables, or even tofu, for the chicken in this recipe.
(Serves 4)
To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.
Most places are a sure bet to have fried rice, pork fried rice and even chicken fried rice but I've found that it's sometimes hard to get vegetable fried rice. I've also felt that this is a better accompaniment to a chicken dish than pork fried rice is, when it's an option. This is a simple and tasty dish that isn't what some people think of as fried rice. This dish isn't so heavy in soy sauce that it's a dark brown. Instead it's light on the soy, but still has a big flavor. It also has 2 eggs scrambled into the mix, as any good fried rice should. This dish is inspired by my favorite Asian restaurant in San Francisco, Hunan Homes, on Jackson Street. It was created from 2 or 3 various other fried rice recipes I had.
Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups cold cooked white rice
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 green onion, sliced
Directions:
Microwave carrots and peas until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add cooked peas and carrots. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl.
Heat remaining oil in pan over high heat, break rice apart with wet hands and add to pan. Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Make a well in center of rice and pour in beaten eggs. Stir the eggs until they are scrambled then stir-fry the eggs into the rice until thoroughly blended.
Add soy sauce and chicken broth and stir fry for 3 more minutes. Gently add vegetable mixture, and scallions. Serve hot.
Vegetarian Variation:
You can make this dish for vegetarians by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
(Serves 4)
To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.
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1 Comments:
Looks great! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Also thanks for mentioning vegetarian options!
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