Kung Pau Shrimp

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Kung Pao
(Serves 4)

Protein
1 lb your choice: shrimp, beef, pork, chicken or firm tofu, cut into equal 1 inch pieces (keep shrimp whole if using, but de-shell and de-vein)
3-4 tblsp peanut oil, for shallow frying your protein OR 2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying your protein

Protein Marinade
1 tblsp mirin (rice wine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder, optional

Protein Slurry
1 lg egg white
2 tblsp corn starch

Kung Pao Sauce
1 tblsp Dou Ban Jiang (Broad Bean Paste)
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tsp of dark soy sauce
1.5 tbsp of black vinegar
a handful of red dried chilies
1 tsp of Sichuan (Szechuan) peppercorns, ground
1 tbsp of garlic
1 tsp of ginger
2 tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 cup of water
2 tsp of cornstarch

Vegetables
4 or 5 green onions, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced in half then thin
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 Serrano chili, optional
Optional, Another half cup of vegetables, your choice, like green beans, carrots, etc, sliced thin

At the end extras
1/4 cup shelled peanuts, toasted
5-10 dried chilis, toasted
1 cup Jasmin rice, cooked

NOTES: I add the Serrano chili for extra heat, you do not have to. You can make this with cut up chicken breast and have kung pao chicken. The Szechuan Peppercorns give a numbing floral quality which is key to the Sichuan province in China where the dish comes from. At the 3:46 second mark of this video will show you the "velveting" technique. Technically you would finish the "velveting" process by dunking the protein briefly in hot oil or water, which we are not doing here. To cook the rice, rinse the rice in a bowl of water, drain and repeat 3 times (or until the water runs clear). Add rice to sauce pan, add water 1/3 inch over the top of the rice. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the rice to a boil and reduce the heat immediately to simmer and cover the pot and set your timer for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, unless there's excess water, turn off the heat, using a fork fluff the rice and then keep covered for an additional few minutes. If there's additional water after 8 minutes you can turn up the heat briefly until the water evaporates.

Mix the shrimp, salt, onion powder and mirin. Add the cornstarch and the egg white in the side of the bowl with the shrimp and mix the white and starch together so there are no lumps, then using the velveting technique, hand mix the shrimp until the egg whites and starch have evenly coated the shrimp and seem to take on a smoother "velvety" texture, let the shrimp rest for 30 minutes before frying.

Make your sauce by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together. Set Aside, in the fridge if your letting your protein sit for over an hour.

Shallow or deep fry your protein, a handful at a time, do not crowd the pan. Once you are finished with all of your protein.

Add the shrimp (or whatever protein you are using) back to your shallow fry pan, if you deep fried, using a new pan, heat it up and add your fried protein, mix in any vegetables you like, mix in the peanuts and chilis, toss until all incorporated. toss for a few minutes to warm it all through, then add your sauce, 1/2 at a time until you are happy with the taste. Serve over Jasmin rice and sprinkle with remaining green onions.