Kung Pao? Chicken

I'm pretty sure what I made for dinner tonight tastes like authentic Kung Pao chicken about as much as George Lucas scriptwriting lessons are worth.

So this is my Kung Pao? Chicken. Notice that if you use the question mark in speech, it doesn't actually sound like the recipe may be less than genuine. It just sounds like you're trying to fake a Chinese accent. So you're not lying when you make the dinner announcement, and everyone's impressed.

My Kung Pao? Chicken Theory is this:
1. Chicken Cubes
2. Sauce with some form of peanut flavour
3. Serve over rice in a way that could be described as asian-ish

Alright, here's what I did.

I bought some chicken, one day before it's expiry date was up, for 66% off, and roasted it immediately. To roast it, I just put it in a small roasting pan with some fresh ginger sliced into matchsticks, onion wedges and sliced lemon. The lemon, ginger and onions make the gravy taste so fresh. If I make it again, I'll also add mint flakes. I baked all that for about an hour, then popped the whole thing in the fridge to use for tomorrow's dinner.

I wanted roast potatoes on the side, so the next day, I coated some cubed potatoes in oil and some of the chicken gravy, and baked them for about 40 minutes at 200 C.

For the kung pao? chicken, I fried up some slided shallots (green onion) with 2 red peppers (capsicum), adding the roast chicken from the night before, cubed, after a few minutes. It should be noted that if you want authentic kung pao chicken, you're supposed to fry cubed chicken quickly from an uncooked state.

For the sauce, I just used the gravy from the roast, with its enhanced lemon ginger flavour. I kept the onion and ginger in the sauce, but removed the lemon slices. To this, I added a few shakes of rice vinnegar, a few shakes of soy sauce (I'd say about two tablespoons of each). I also added a great big spoonful of chunky peanut butter.

I wasn't totally convinced this combination of flavours would be that great. Just in case it didn't turn out, I put some shredded cheese and sliced shallots on top of the baked potatoes, and popped them back in the oven for the cheese to melt. My wife's happy with anything with cheese, so I figured even if the chicken was terrible, she'd still be impressed with the overall meal.

Fortunately, my worst fears went unrealised. The lemon, ginger and peanut butter went very well together, and nothing but good reviews from my wife. I suppose I should note, though, that she finished all her potatoes, and saved her leftover chicken "for later."

All around, it's a simple meal with a fun name, fresh flavour, and bright colour.

Try it out, tell me how it goes.