Gong bao chicken carries the name of a Qing dynasty official, Ding Baozhen, who served as governor of Sichuan in the nineteenth century and held the honorary title of gongbao, a palace guardian. The dish is said to have been a favorite at his table, and it outlived him by a very long way. It also outlived a spell of political disgrace: during the Cultural Revolution a name honoring an imperial official was unwelcome, and the dish was quietly served under plainer titles until the 1980s, when it got its old name back. Few recipes can claim to have been politically rehabilitated.

What makes it Sichuan is the flavor Chengdu cooks call lychee flavor, which has nothing to do with lychees. It means a careful balance of sugar and dark Chinese vinegar, so the sauce tastes faintly sweet and sour, laid over the smoky heat of chilies fried in oil and the citrus buzz of Sichuan pepper. The takeout versions found around the world are usually sweeter and heavier on vegetables; this one stays close to the Sichuan original, all chicken, chili and peanut.

The cooking itself takes about five minutes, so the real work is chopping and measuring before the wok goes on. Shanghai, home of the Chinese Grand Prix, is a long way from Chengdu, but you will find this dish on menus there and in every Chinese city in between, which is exactly why it makes a fine opening act for a race weekend.

Steamed rice

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) jasmine or other long grain white rice
• 2 cups (480 ml) cold water

Method

1. Put the rice in the sieve and rinse it under cold running water, rubbing the grains gently between your fingers, for about one minute.
2. Put the rinsed rice and the water in the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir once, cover with the lid, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
3. Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork. Keep the lid on until you serve.

The chicken and peanuts

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Shaoxing wine
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
• 2/3 cup (90 g) raw, unsalted, skinned peanuts
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil, such as peanut or sunflower

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Trim off any large pieces of fat, then cut the thighs into strips about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) wide and cut across the strips to make small cubes of the same size. Small, even pieces cook in the same short time.
2. Put the chicken in a bowl with the salt, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch and water. Mix with your hand or a spoon for 30 seconds, until every piece is coated, then leave it while you prepare everything else, at least 15 minutes.
3. If your peanuts are already roasted, skip this step. Otherwise put the oil and the raw peanuts in the cold wok together and set it over medium heat. Stir often for 5 to 7 minutes as the oil heats up, then lift the peanuts out with the slotted spoon onto the paper towels. Starting them in cold oil lets them cook through before they color.
4. Carefully pour all but 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the hot oil into a heatproof bowl and let it cool; it can be reused for another stir fry. Leave the 3 tablespoons in the wok for the next stage.

The sauce and stir fry

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Chinese black vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) chicken stock or water
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
• 8 to 12 dried red chilies
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 piece, 1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger
• 6 scallions

Method

1. In the small bowl, stir together the sugar, black vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cornstarch, stock and sesame oil until the sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. Put it by the stove with the spoon in it; you will stir it again just before it goes in.
2. Snip the stem end off each dried chili with the scissors and cut the chilies into pieces about 3/4 inch (2 cm) long. Shake out and discard as many of the loose seeds as you easily can, since the seeds burn quickly and add harsh heat.
3. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in the wok over medium heat. Add the chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir constantly for 20 to 40 seconds. You want them darker, not black. If they start to go black, lift the wok off the heat at once.
4. Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken straight away, spreading it out. Leave it for 30 seconds, then stir and toss for 2 to 3 minutes, separating any pieces that stick together.
5. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions and stir fry for about 1 minute more.
6. Stir the sauce again, because the cornstarch settles, then pour it into the wok. Toss everything together for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and stir in the peanuts.
7. Tip the chicken onto a warmed plate. Taste a piece of chicken; if it needs it, add a pinch of salt. Serve straight away so the peanuts stay crisp, and warn guests that the whole chilies are for flavor rather than for eating.

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