Kung Pao Chicken with Ho Fun Noodles


I used Mark Bittman's recipe from The Best Recipes in the World with a few substitutions and additions. I added peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli, for extra nutrition; couldn't find dried red peppers, so I used fresh red jalapenos; couldn't find Shaoxing wine, so I bought a $15 bottle of Harvey's Bristol Creme sherry... only to find out the recipe only calls for 1 Tbsp sherry. *sigh* I tried to drink a bit for dessert, but it isn't really my cup of tea - er, wine. What else do you use sherry for, in terms of cooking?


Kung Pao Chicken with Ho Fun Noodles
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1.5 - 2 lbs. thinly sliced chicken breasts
3 Tbsp. neutral oil
5 dried red peppers, chopped (or 2 fresh red jalapenos)
minced garlic and ginger, to taste
1 tsp. sugar
soy sauce, to taste (the recipe calls for 3 Tbsp. Pshaw.)
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
chopped roasted peanuts (or whole, if you're lazy like me)
1 scallion, sliced
1 pkg. Ho Fun or noodle of your choice

Optional:
chopped red pepper
sliced mushrooms
chopped broccoli
chopped snowpeas
water chestnuts
etc.

1) Whisk cornstarch and sherry in bowl, add chicken, marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2) Get on with chopping the garlic, ginger, hot peppers, and veggies-if you're adding them.
3) Heat oil in wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced hot peppers, then add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 10 seconds)
4) If you're making Ho Fun, now would be a good time to turn the heat to high under a large pot of water.
5) Add chicken, cook until no longer pink.
6) Optional: Add veggies, cook another 2-3 minutes.
7) If you're making Ho Fun, add the noodles to the boiling water now. Cook 2 minutes and drain.
8) Sprinkle with sugar, cover with soy sauce, (add extra sherry, if you're me), stir, and simmer 5 more minutes.
9) Remove from heat, sprinkle on sesame oil.
10) Serve atop noodles (or rice), garnish with scallions and peanuts.