Title: Chicken Chunks with Peanuts in Spicy Sauce
Categories: Poultry Entree Meat
Yield: 4 Servings
| 1/2 | c | Peanuts; raw |
| 3 | c | Peanut Oil |
| 2 | | Whole chicken breasts at roo |
| 1 | | Large egg white |
| 1 1/2 | tb | Water chestnut flour |
| SAUCE |
| 4 | | Green onions |
| 2 | | Large cloves garlic |
| 1 | tb | Minced ginger root |
| 1/2 | c | Chicken stock |
| 1/2 | tb | Sesame oil |
| 1/2 | tb | Chinese red vingear |
| 1/2 | tb | Dark soy sauce |
| 1 1/2 | ts | Chili paste with garlic |
| 1 | tb | Dry sherry |
| 1 | | Pinch sugar |
| 1 | | Cornstarch paste |
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Preparation: Trim ends off green onions and cut light green and white part
into 1" sections. Mix all other sauce ingredients in 2-quart saucepan.
Reserve. Pull skin off breasts, then pull chicken meat from bones. Slice
meat into 1" strips, then crosswise to make 1" chunks. In bowl large enough
to hold chicken, add egg white to water chestnut flour. Beat mixture with a
single chopstick (not an egg beater or whisk). Stir chicken pieces into egg
mixture to coat thoroughly. Marinate 5 minutes. Note: water chestnut
flour gives a lighter crust than cornstarch, though the latter may be
substituted. Deep-frying: Heat cooking oil in wok or deep-fryer to medium
heat (you'll need more oil for deep-fryer). Fry peanuts until they are a
light tan color; if a test peanut browns quickly, turn down heat. Remove
peanuts with strainer or slotted spoon; drain on paper towel or paper bag.
Reserve. Turn up heat slightly for chicken. Test a chunk first: chicken
should raise to surface immediately & brown in about 2 minutes. Deep-fry
coated chicken chunks until golden brown. Deep-fry no more than 8 chunks at
a time. Use long chopsticks or spatula to keep pieces separate while they
are frying. Remove with long chopsticks or slotted spoon. Reserve. Sauce:
While deep-frying chicken, heat sauce to simmer. Add green onions &
peanuts about a minute before serving. At the last minute, add chicken
pieces to sauce, mix quickly & serve.