Kung Pao Shrimp — Print Recipe

A Sichuan classic of wok-tossed shrimp with roasted peanuts, dried chilies, and a sweet-sour-spicy sauce. This dish showcases the hallmark Sichuan technique of balancing numbing heat with bright acidity and sweetness.

Ingredients

500g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
100g roasted peanuts
10 dried red chilies
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, minced
2cm piece ginger, minced
3 green onions, cut into segments
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

1 Toss the shrimp with cornstarch and a pinch of salt to give them a light coating that will help them sear properly and stay juicy in the high heat of the wok.
2 Heat vegetable oil in a wok until smoking, then sear the shrimp in a single layer for one minute per side until pink and slightly charred, and remove them immediately.
3 In the same wok, add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for thirty seconds until the chilies darken and the peppercorns release their numbing fragrance.
4 Add the garlic, ginger, and green onion segments, toss for fifteen seconds, then pour in the sauce made from soy sauce, black vinegar, and sugar, stirring until it bubbles and thickens.
5 Return the seared shrimp to the wok along with the roasted peanuts, toss everything together for thirty seconds until coated in the glossy sauce, then finish with sesame oil and serve immediately.

Did You Know?

Kung Pao is named after Ding Baozhen, a Qing Dynasty governor of Sichuan whose official title was Gongbao, and the dish was supposedly his favorite meal.