Ingredients
250 g chicken breast, 50 g water chestnuts, and 50 g good-quality broth.
Seasonings
50 g lard, 20 g each of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch, 15 g each of pickled red chili peppers and egg white, 10 g each of scallion, ginger, and garlic, 5 g vinegar, 3 g salt, 1 g MSG.
Instructions
1. Remove the membrane from the chicken breast, poke a few small holes with the tip of a knife, then cut into 1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) cubes. Place in a bowl and mix with salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, and MSG to marinate. Peel the water chestnuts, wash, and cut into cubes of the same size.
2. Remove the stems and seeds from the pickled red chilies, then finely chop them; cut the scallions into short sections; finely dice the ginger and garlic into small square slices; mix the egg white with dry cornstarch to form a thin paste.
3. Place a wok over high heat and heat it thoroughly, then add lard and heat to about 150°C–180°C (300°F–350°F). Coat the diced chicken with an egg white and cornstarch slurry, then slide it into the wok and stir-fry until cooked through. Add finely chopped pickled chili peppers and stir-fry rapidly over high heat until the chicken turns a bright chili-red color. Add water chestnuts, ginger, scallions, and garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in a sauce mixture made from salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, MSG, cornstarch slurry, and stock, then quickly toss everything together. Add a splash of vinegar, toss again, and immediately remove from the wok to a serving plate. For variations, substitute Sichuan Pixian broad bean paste for the pickled chilies, and fresh bamboo shoots or asparagus lettuce for the water chestnuts. This dish is glossy red, with a silky, tender texture and a savory, aromatic spiciness.