How to Prepare Mandarin Chicken

The key to Chinese cooking is to find the perfect contrast between color, texture, flavors, and aromas to achieve the perfect balance.

Mandarin chicken is typically a Northern dish that usually combines the fusion of rustic flavors and the refinement of elegance and light aromatic ingredients.

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Ingredients

1 lb skinless and boneless chicken
2 red chili’s minced
2 cups peanut oil
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 cup peanuts
3 garlic cloves
3 scallions, chopped finely
2/3 cup chicken stock-or Chinese chicken stock
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tsp cornstarch

Sauce

1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cornstarch

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In a bowl, combines all of the marinade ingredients, along with the chicken and let it marinade for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Using a wok, heat oil until it smokes.
Add chili’s and pepper in a wire basket or spider and fry in oil for 1 minute. Put to the side.
Add chicken and cook until cooked through.
Add peanuts in a spider or handheld drainer and fry for 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper-towel.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken form the oil and drain.
Drain the oil from the wok leaving 4 tablespoons.
Add ginger, onions, and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken back to the pan along with the chili’s and peppercorns and cook for 2  minutes.
In a steel bowl, mix together the  stock, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch. Add to the wok along with the peanuts.
Bring the mixture to an boil and then set on low heat for 2 minutes.

Source

Serves 4 people.