Norman’s Kung Pao Chicken

Norman’s Kung Pao Chicken

Don't forget the cayenne peppers. This is supposed to have a bite.

On my recent camping trip, I had a big piece of leftover beef and I made that into a tasty stir fry for my son and I. He was a little leery at first, he's not a big fan of stir fries, but he loved it. It was a little spicy and had lots of garlic.

Stir fried beef while camping.
We both went back for seconds.

Anytime I have a stir fry, I prefer it to be on the spicy side. I've been known to make more than one person sweat when they ate my stir fried chicken.

When I first started out working at the pallet factory, a group of us would go to lunch together. We would go to the Wok Inn at least once a week. They have great stir-fry’s and their egg rolls were better than the norm.

My usual order was Kung Pao Chicken which I’d order extra hot. After I ordered it a few times, the owner one day asked if it was good and I said it was. “Not too hot?” I think it was my father-in-law who responded, “You can’t make it too hot for him!” Little did I know that this would set the restaurant owner on a mission.

He’d throw in more and more chili paste, and when that didn’t hit my pain threshold, he started adding in some of the dried Thai chili peppers as well. When he came to take the plates away, he was frustrated when everything was eaten, peppers and all. Finally, one day he won. My Kung Pao Chicken was red with chili paste and had about a dozen Thai peppers in it. Before I finished, my pain threshold was surpassed. I left about three of the dried peppers on the plate. He was beaming when he saw them on the plate. “You no finish! Too hot!” After that, we reached a compromise. From then on he stayed within my tolerance levels. I did make his day, however, when I admitted defeat.

I find about six dried cayenne peppers to be about right, but feel free to push the limit if you’d like. Go ahead and find your own pain threshold.

1 large chicken breast, cut into cubes

3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

Soy sauce

Sriracha sauce, or chili paste

1/4 cup peanut oil

6 dried cayenne peppers

1/2 cup peanuts

3 stalks of celery, cut into strips

1 branch of broccoli, cut into strips

1 large bell peppers, cut into strips

1 large onion, halved lengthwise, and then into strips

1 zucchini, cut into cubes

1 bunch of green onions, sliced thin

1/2 bottle str fry sauce (or add a quarter cup of molasses)

Sesame oil

Preparation

Don’t let the list of ingredients scare you. Get everything chopped up. Once you have it all chopped up, you’re almost done! Put the chicken in a bowl with the garlic, a tablespoon of the hot sauce or chili paste, and two tablespoons of soy sauce. Stir to mix and let it marinate for ten minutes.

Heat you wok until it is hot. I set my stove up so I have a jet of flame blasting the bottom of the wok. Add the peanut oil and swirl the wok to coat it with the oil. When it is almost smoking, add the dried cayenne peppers and stir for about thirty seconds. Add the chicken mixture. Cook it, stirring constantly until the chicken is cooked through. Remove it to a clean bowl (not the one you just used).

Reheat the wok until it is hot again. If necessary, add a little more oil. Now add the celery and let it stir fry for about a minute and then add the broccoli. Stir for a bit until it is hot and add the bell pepper. Stir for about a minute and add the onion. Stir for another minute and now add the zucchini. Stir until the zucchini starts to soften.

Add the chicken back in and stir until everything is well mixed. Add on a good sprinkling of soy sauce and add the stir fry sauce. Stir until everything is bubbling. Add in the green onion and stir another minute. Sprinkle on a generous dose of sesame oil, remove from heat and stir well.

Serving

Serve this by placing a large mound of rice on a plate and then cover it with the Kung Pao Chicken. Grind a little fresh ground white pepper over it. Go ahead, a little more. I would also serve liver dumpling soup as a first course. Fresh baked bread and butter is also needed. Why not add in some egg rolls for good measure. Finally, open up an ice cold German Reisling and ring the dinner bell.