Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 7 to 8 ounces each

Marinade:
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil or other vegetable oil, like olive oil

Sauce:
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar

Other:
8 small dried red chili peppers or 1/2 tsp chili paste
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews
2 cans of water chestnuts

Preparation:

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine with the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken for 25 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. If using chili paste instead of chili peppers add to the sauce instead of cooking the peppers later with the garlic. Set the sauce aside.

Peel and finely chop the garlic.

If using the chili peppers, cut the chilies in half so that they are approximately the same size as the chicken cubes. Remove the seeds.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Stir-fry until it turns white and is 80 percent cooked. Remove from the wok.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). If using fresh chili peppers add them now and Stir-fry briefly until they turn dark red.

Add the sauce to the wok. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back into the pan. Stir in the peanuts and water chestnuts and stir until they are heated. Remove from the heat. Serve hot.