Kung Pao Chicken Recipe | Simply Recipes http://www.simplyrecipes.com A family cooking and food blog with hundreds of healthy, whole-food recipes for the home cook. Photographs, easy-to-follow instructions, and reader comments. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:27:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Simply Recipes » Kung Pao Chicken Recipe | Simply Recipes http://www.simplyrecipes.com http://www.simplyrecipes.com/wp-content/themes/simply/i/logo.png?v=2 301 47 A family cooking and food blog with hundreds of healthy, whole-food recipes for the home cook. Photographs, easy-to-follow instructions, and reader comments. Kung Pao Chicken http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kung_pao_chicken/ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kung_pao_chicken/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:54:50 +0000 Garrett McCord http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kung_pao_chicken Kung Pao Chicken (photo)

Please welcome contributor Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic as he shares one of his favorite go-to Chinese (American) dishes, Kung Pao Chicken. ~Elise

Kung Pao Chicken (also known as Gong Bao or Kung Pow) is probably the dish most associated with Chinese food in America. This dish is also one of the most authentic dishes on the menus of Chinese restaurants and owes its fiery flavor to two particular ingredients: chilies and Szechuan peppercorns.

The chili peppers most commonly used for Chinese cooking are Tien Tsin chilies, named for their provence of origin. They’re quite hot and possess an earthy pungency. Szechwan (or Sichuan) peppercorns were actually banned by the FDA until 2005 due to their potential to carry citrus canker. Now they’re permitted for import but only after they’ve been heat treated. Rather than being hot or pungent, they’re slightly citrusy and create a slight numbing, tingling sensation as opposed to the burning, hot sensations of peppers and chilies (think the tingle on your tongue from a carbonated drink). You can find both in Asian markets or order them easily (and cheaply) online as a little goes a long way.

Continue reading "Kung Pao Chicken" »

]]> Kung Pao Chicken (photo)

Please welcome contributor Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic as he shares one of his favorite go-to Chinese (American) dishes, Kung Pao Chicken. ~Elise

Kung Pao Chicken (also known as Gong Bao or Kung Pow) is probably the dish most associated with Chinese food in America. This dish is also one of the most authentic dishes on the menus of Chinese restaurants and owes its fiery flavor to two particular ingredients: chilies and Szechuan peppercorns.

The chili peppers most commonly used for Chinese cooking are Tien Tsin chilies, named for their provence of origin. They’re quite hot and possess an earthy pungency. Szechwan (or Sichuan) peppercorns were actually banned by the FDA until 2005 due to their potential to carry citrus canker. Now they’re permitted for import but only after they’ve been heat treated. Rather than being hot or pungent, they’re slightly citrusy and create a slight numbing, tingling sensation as opposed to the burning, hot sensations of peppers and chilies (think the tingle on your tongue from a carbonated drink). You can find both in Asian markets or order them easily (and cheaply) online as a little goes a long way.

Continue reading "Kung Pao Chicken" »

]]> http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kung_pao_chicken/feed/ 21