Spicy and tangy
A favourite item on many Chinese restaurant menus in the West, Kung Pao or Gung Bao chicken is a dish from the Sichuan Province dating to the late Qing Dynasty (1800s). It contains a tangy, spicy mixture of diced chicken, peanuts, vegetables, chillis and Sichuan 'numbing' peppercorn. Legend has it a young Sichuan boy, who was saved from drowning, became an official and governor. When he visited his saviour to pay respects, he was served this dish which was new to him. The official instantly fell in love and popularised the dish such that its name is a play on his title "Gongbao", or palace guardian. This beloved dish has endured many name changes and some ingredient variants when Sichuan peppercorn were unavailable. Create a vegan version of this classic with our [MOCK]® Chicken Pieces, delight your tastebuds and travel back in time!
4 servings
30 minutes
Ingredients
[MOCK]® Chicken Pieces
Sauce
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/3 cup water
Stir fry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium courgette, chopped
- 6-10 dried chillies (adjust to taste)
- 5 spring onions
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 90g roasted, unsalted, whole peanuts
To serve
- Cooked rice
Preparation
Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the [MOCK]® Chicken Pieces and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, until slightly brown, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Drizzle over the rest of the oil. Add the bell pepper, courgette, chillis and white parts of the spring onion. Sauté for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the sauce mixture and Sichuan pepper. Bring to a simmer, mixing constantly, until almost all the sauce reduces to a thick syrup – about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the peanuts and the green parts of the spring onions. Optionally, you can add more Sichuan pepper at this point.
Plate up the stir fry mixture with a generous rice portion.
Product information
[MOCK]® Chicken Pieces
Highly versatile plant-based chicken pieces that can replace meat in a variety of dishes.
