skip to main content

Cook Like a Chef: Kung Pao Chicken

Cook Like a Chef: Kung Pao Chicken
Cook Like a Chef: Kung Pao Chicken

Mark Moriarty: Cook Like a Chef airs Wednesdays at 8pm on RTÉ One.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 100ml soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 5 tbsp water
  • 3 tsp corn flour

For the rest of the dish:

  • 4 diced chicken thighs
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small red pepper, chopped
  • 3 Spring onions, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 30g roasted peanuts

To garnish:

  • Sliced red chilli
  • 3 spring onions, tops sliced

Method

  1. To make the sauce, add the soy sauce, vegetable oil, honey, vinegar, chilli flakes, water and 2 tsp of cornflour to a small bowl, combine well and set aside.
  2. Place the diced chicken thighs in a bowl. Add 2 tsp of cornflour, a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir to coat the chicken pieces evenly.
  3. Heat a non-stick frying pan and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the chicken and fry 4-5 minutes until browned evenly, then remove from the pan and rest on a plate on a sheet of kitchen paper.
  4. Into the same pan, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil followed by the chopped red pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes until starting to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken back into the pan followed by the peanuts and the sauce and stir. Allow to cook on a low heat for 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Serve with some steamed rice and garnish with some sliced red chilli, if desired, and sliced spring onions.