Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

菜系：川菜
Cuisine: Sichuan cuisine
口味：酸甜
Taste: sweet and sour
介绍：
Introduction
宫保鸡丁，四川传统名菜。由鸡丁、干辣椒、花生米等炒制而成。传说是清末宫保丁宝桢的家厨创制而得名。特点是鲜香细嫩，辣而不燥，略带甜酸味道。
Kung Pao Chicken is a typical traditional Sichuan dish made with diced chicken, peanuts and chili pepper. It was named after a court official, Ding Baozhen, in the late Qing Dynasty (1616-1911). The dish features fresh, tender, spicy, savory, a little sweet and sour.
丁宝桢是贵州平远（今织金）人，清咸丰进士，讲究烹调，任山东巡抚时，曾雇用名厨数十人为家厨，请客时常有“炒鸡丁”一菜。后调任四川总督，便将此菜引进四川，与四川嗜辣的习俗相结合，并加以改进，以此宴客，倍受欢迎。后烹制方法泄露出去，为餐馆采纳经营。丁宝桢曾被清朝封为太子少保（尊称宫保），此菜被人命名为“宫保鸡丁”。现已风靡全国。各地的品种略有差异，并有将鸡丁演化为肉丁的宫保肉丁等。
Ding Baozhen, a native of Pingyuan (today’s Zhijin), Zuizhou Province, became a Jinshi (a third degree candidate in the national civil service examination) during the reign of Emperor Xianfeng. Legend has it that Ding Baozhen was a gourmet, relishing “stir-fried diced chicken” in particular, and he often treated his guests with this dish. While he served as governor in Shandong, he hired a dozen of famous cooks as his family cooks. While he served as governor in Sichuan, wher the local people liked hot chilies, he improved his favorite dish “stir-fried diced chicken” by adding chili pepper as an ingredient. As a result, the dish with its spicy flavor tasted even more delicious. Later, the recipe was leaked and restaurants started to serve the dish. Since Ding was later granted the title Taizi Shaobao, which literally means “Protector of the Crown Prince”, by the imperial court, he was also referred to as Kung Pao, which was short for Taizi Shaobao. Because of Ding Baozhen, people named his favorite dish Kung Pao Chicken. Now the dish has become very popular all around China. The way of cooking and the taste of the dish may vary in different provinces. Some even invented a new dish called Kung Pao Pork by replacing chicken with pork.
特色：
Features
鲜香细嫩，辣而不燥，略带甜酸味道。
Fresh, tender, spicy, savory, a little sweet and sour
原料：
Ingredients
鸡脯肉250克，花生米150克，油500克（实耗75克），鸡蛋清1只，干淀粉12克，盐2克，味精1克，酱油10克，糖10克，干红辣椒2只，葱、姜末各2克，清汤50克，料酒5克，麻油5克。
250g chicken breast, 150g peanuts, 500g oil (425g can be reused), 1 egg (only the egg white will be used), 12g dry starch, 2g salt, 1g MSG, 10 g soy sauce, 10g sugar, 2g dry red pepper, 2g chopped green onions, 2g chopped ginger, 50g clear soup, 5g cooking wine, 5g sesame oil.
制作方法：
Preparation Procedures:
1. 将鸡脯肉拍松，刻上十字花刀，切成1.5厘米见方的丁，放入碗内，加入鸡蛋清、盐2克、干淀粉10克搅拌上浆。余下淀粉用水化开备用。花生米去皮后入油锅炒熟。干红辣椒切成长1厘米长的段。
1. Wash the chicken breast until clean, slap it gently with the back of a knife to make the meat soft. Cut it into small 1.5cm cubes, and put them in a bowl. Add the egg white, 10g dry starch and 2g salt into the bowl, and mix well. Dissolve the rest of the starch into water and stir well. Peel the peanuts and stir-fry them until done. Cut the dried red chilies into 1cm pieces.
2．炒锅置旺火上烧热，放入油，烧至四成热时，放入浆好的鸡丁滑炒至断生，倒入漏勺中，控净油。
2. Heat the wok over big flame; add oil into the wok until 40% heat. Stir-fry the diced chicken until it is cooked. Place the chicken into a strainer and drain out the oil.
3．锅内留油25克烧热，放入葱姜末、干红辣椒煸炒出香味，放入清汤、料酒、酱油、糖、味精烧开后，用湿淀粉勾芡，倒入炒好的鸡丁及花生米，翻炒均匀，淋上麻油，装盘即成。
3. Leave 25g oil in the wok and heat the oil; add the dried red chilies, chopped ginger, chopped spring onion and stir-fry until the spicy flavor develops. Now put the clear soup, cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar and MSG into the wok and bring it to boil. Pour in the starch solution. Then add the cooked chicken, peanuts and stir-fry well. Finally, drizzle in sesame oil and put everything onto a plate and the dish is ready to serve.