Kung-Pao Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, crushed
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Salt & freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Sauce:
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Mirin or dry sherry
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 bell peppers, chopped
10 dried red thai chiles
4 spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons freshly crushed ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns
For Serving:
Roasted unsalted peanuts
Jasmine rice
1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, crushed
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Salt & freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Sauce:
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Mirin or dry sherry
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 bell peppers, chopped
10 dried red thai chiles
4 spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons freshly crushed ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns
For Serving:
Roasted unsalted peanuts
Jasmine rice
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, garlic, ginger, spring onions, and panko. Add egg and soy sauce and season with salt and few good cranks of pepper. Mix until well combined.
Form into 16 equal sized meatballs. If mixture is too wet you can wet your hands lightly with water to help roll into balls.
In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs and cook until golden on all sides and internal temperature reaches 165°F, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate to keep warm.
While the meatballs cook, combine stock, soy sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, hoisin, and sugar in a small bowl.
Add cornstarch and whisk until dissolved.
Wipe out any bits from pan that are too dark. Return skillet over medium heat and add more oil as needed.
Add bell peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add dried chillies, spring onions, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more.
Add sauce mixture and return meatballs to pan. Toss to coat meatballs.
Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until sauce is thickened and meatballs are warmed through, about another 5 minutes.
Top with peanuts and serve over cooked rice.
Form into 16 equal sized meatballs. If mixture is too wet you can wet your hands lightly with water to help roll into balls.
In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs and cook until golden on all sides and internal temperature reaches 165°F, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate to keep warm.
While the meatballs cook, combine stock, soy sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, hoisin, and sugar in a small bowl.
Add cornstarch and whisk until dissolved.
Wipe out any bits from pan that are too dark. Return skillet over medium heat and add more oil as needed.
Add bell peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add dried chillies, spring onions, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more.
Add sauce mixture and return meatballs to pan. Toss to coat meatballs.
Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until sauce is thickened and meatballs are warmed through, about another 5 minutes.
Top with peanuts and serve over cooked rice.
Notes:
Not everyone keeps a store of Szechuan peppercorns handy. In a pinch, you can grind some black pepper with some coriander seeds and add a little lemon zest to approximate the same flavor. Wouldn't it just be easier to get some Szechuan peppercorns though?
If ten red chiles are too hot for you, make something else for dinner. I mean, c'mon.
If ten red chiles are too hot for you, make something else for dinner. I mean, c'mon.