Modernist Recipes DB

Ben Pao’s Kung Pao Chicken

Adapted from Jim Hoveke, Ben Pao restaurant, Chicago IL (now closed)

This recipe is from a favorite Chinese styled restaurant that was once located in Chicago called Ben Pao. Ben Pao has since closed down, but before they did they had a cooking class and the provided this recipe for their most popular dish (and my wife’s favorite), Kung Pao Chicken.

Time

1 hour total

Storage notes

keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days 

Difficulty

very easy 

Yield

680 g (servings 2 )

Ingredients
Weight
Volume
Procedure
A
Peanut oil
20 g
1½ tbsp
1
Heat in wok until very hot.
B
Tsien tsien (or arbol) chiles, dried
1 g
2 pepper
2
Add to wok and stir fry until blackened.
C
Bell peppers, green, 1-inch dice
80 g
Bell peppers, red, 1-inch dice
80 g
3
Add to wok and stir fry until starting to soften, about 3 minutes or 4 minutes.
D
Scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
84 g
14 tbsp
4
Add to wok and stir fry for 1 minute.
E
Sous vide chicken breast, roughly cut or torn into 1.5 inch pieces
414 g
3½ breast
Kung Pao Sauce
166 g
5
Add ingredients to wok and stir fry 2 minutes to 3 minutes.
F
Ginger, peeled and grated
1 g
Peanuts, roasted, to taste
56 g
56 peanut
6
Add to wok along and stir fry for 30 seconds.
G
Corn starch slurry
5 g
7
If sauce needs to be thickened, add corn starch slurry a tablespoon at a time and stir fry for 30 seconds.
H
Thinly sliced scallions (reserved from above)
2 g
8
Garnish to taste with scalions and serve over rice.

Adapted: 2012.

Notes

When I make a batch of the sauce, I usually make enough for 20 single servings stored in 2 servings per bag.

Making ahead

Make chicken A and Kung Pao Sauce and store in fridge or freezer. Roast peanuts or use store bought. As in most wok cooking, it is imperative that you have all ingredients ready before firing up the wok, proper mise en place is essential.

Nutrition
Serving size 340 g; calories 457.8 kcal, kilojoules 1915.2 kJ, protein 39.3 g, carbohydrates 6.7 g, sugar 3.7 g, fat 29.6 g, saturated fat 4.6 g, unsaturated fat 22.6 g, trans fat 0 g, fiber 3.7 g, cholesterol 99.9 mg,

Finished recipe

Recipe: Ben Pao’s Kung Pao Chicken. Step .
Plated Kung Pao chicken over basmati rice

Steps

Recipe: Ben Pao’s Kung Pao Chicken. Step 1.
1 Mise en place critical for stir fry!

Type stir-fry

Author

Yield

g

Servings

Serving size 340 g

Serve

Per
serve
Energy (kcal)457.8
Energy (kJ)1915.2
Protein (g)39.3
Fat (g)29.6
Carbs (g)6.7
Sugars (g)3.7
Fiber (g)3.7
Sodium (mg)199.2
Cholesterol (mg)99.9

Full details