Chicken Chunks with Peanuts in Spicy Sauce (Kung Pao)

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Title: Chicken Chunks with Peanuts in Spicy Sauce (Kung Pao)
Categories: Chinese, Poultry
Yield: 6 servings

1/2 c Raw peanuts
3 c Peanut oil
2 Whole chicken breasts at
-room temp.
1 lg Egg white
1 1/2 tb Water chestnut flour
SAUCE:
4 Green onions
2 lg 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 (level) chili paste with
-garlic
1 tb Dry sherry
1 pn Sugar
Cornstarch paste

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.

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