Szechuan Chicken

This spicy Szechuan chicken recipe gets its heat from Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper and crushed chilies. Parboiling or "oil poaching" the chicken in hot oil helps make it extra tender.

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, about 7 ounces each
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons Shao Xing rice wine, dry sherry or cooking wine
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red chilies, or to taste
• 2 slices ginger, minced, to form 1 tablespoon
• Other:
• 4 carrots, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation:

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips. (Partially freeze chicken breasts first to make this easier).
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the cornstarch into the egg whites. Coat the chicken strips in the cornstarch mixture. Heat 1 cup oil in the wok. Cook the chicken strips briefly in the hot oil until they turn white. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels. Clean out the wok and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the carrots. Stir-fry briefly and add the peppers.
Make a "well" in the middle of the wok and add the sauce. Heat briefly, then mix the sauce in with the vegetables.
Return the chicken to the wok.
Stir-fry 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in the green onions. Serve with rice.