Gong Bao Chicken With Peanuts

• 2 boneless chicken breasts (11 to 12 ounces total), with or without skin
• 3 garlic cloves
• An equivalent amount of ginger
• 5 spring onions, white parts only
• A handful of dried chiles (about 10)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
• 3 ounces (75 grams) roasted peanuts (see note)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (or use dry sherry or dry vermouth)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (or use balsamic vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock or water

1. Cut chicken as evenly as possible into half-inch strips, then cut strips into small cubes.
2. Place in a small bowl.
3. Add marinade ingredients and 1 tablespoon water to bowl.
4. Mix well and set aside.
5. Peel and thinly slice garlic and ginger.
6. Chop spring onions into chunks as long as their diameter (to match the chicken cubes).
7. Snip chiles in half or into sections, discarding their seeds.
8. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.
9. Heat a seasoned wok over a high flame.
10. Add oil, chiles and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until chiles are darkening but not burned.
11. (Remove wok from heat if necessary to prevent overheating.)
12. Quickly add chicken and stir-fry over a high flame, stirring constantly.
13. As soon as chicken cubes have separated, add ginger, garlic and spring onions and continue to stir-fry until they are fragrant and meat is just cooked through (test one of the larger pieces to make sure).
14. Give sauce a stir and add to wok, continuing to stir and toss.
15. As soon as the sauce has become thick and shiny, add the peanuts, stir them in and serve.

chicken breasts, garlic, ginger, spring onions, chiles, cooking oil, sichuan pepper, peanuts, salt, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, potato starch, sugar, potato starch, soy sauce, soy sauce, chinkiang vinegar, sesame oil, chicken

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015131 (may not work)