Sichuan Chicken with Peanuts and Spring Onion Recipe

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My stepmother, Lily, when I told her that my next book would be dedicated solely to chicken, insisted I include this – her recipe for Gong Bao Chicken, also known as Kung Pao Chicken.

Lily is Sichuanese, and while she lives in the UK now, she has cooked me this dish to eat both here at home and, on several occasions, in Chengdu, alongside her brothers and sisters.

When Lily makes this, which is often, it is so very delicious – it is almost as if the chicken leaves the fridge and is there cooked on the table, indescribably glossy, in 10 minutes flat, with us all waiting giddy, rice at the ready, with greedy pleasure.

One Pan Chicken by Claire Thomson (Quadrille, £20), Photography by Sam Folan

Ingredients for Sichuan Chicken with Peanuts and Spring Onion Serves: 4

700g (1lb 9oz) boneless, skinless chicken (thigh is best), diced
2 tsp ground Sichuan pepper (optional but thoroughly recommended)
2 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
2 tbsp black rice vinegar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 star anise
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
4 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
8–12 small dried chillies, stem and most of the seeds discarded, then roughly chopped
1 tbsp grated (shredded) fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bunch of spring onions (scallions), trimmed and cut into similar lengths as the chicken
80g (2 ¾ oz) roasted peanuts, roughly crushed salt

How To Make Sichuan Chicken with Peanuts and Spring Onion

Season the chicken with a big pinch of salt and the Sichuan pepper, then dust with half the cornflour (corn starch), to coat. Next, add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and all the Shaoxing wine or sherry and mix well.
In a bowl, mix together the sugar, vinegar and sesame oil, along with 2 tablespoons of water, the star anise, sesame seeds and the remaining soy sauce and cornflour. Put to one side.
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the dried chillies and stir-fry for about 20 seconds, then add the chicken and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and spring onions (scallions) and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through.
Mix through the vinegar mixture, stir-frying over a high heat for a couple of minutes to fully coat and cook the chicken.
Remove from the heat and scatter with the crushed peanuts to serve.

About the author

"I was born in Zimbabwe and spent my early childhood there before moving to London aged 8, from the city to Shropshire, in deepest countryside, until leaving home with a backpack and books (in a time before kindles). I have cooked in many places around the world and think cooking good food with interesting people from wherever in the world is where I am happiest. Also too, my own kitchen table with the children home from school, cup of tea, glass of wine and so on. Professional chef, food writer, author and mother of 3, I am almost always in an apron and am never without something to cook, someone to feed. Have knives and will travel!"