Non-spicy Version of “Kung Pao“ Jiang Pao Chicken (酱爆鸡丁)

Make aromatic water: in a bowl, add 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup of diced green part of the scallion (reserve the white part for later), 2 tbsp of diced ginger, 3 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine. Rub and squeeze the aromatics for a few minutes to release the flavor. Let it go through a sieve.

Take 3.5 tbsp of the aromatic water. Mix it with 3 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/3 tsp of salt. Save the rest of the aromatic water for later.

Cut 20oz of chicken thigh into bite-size. Marinade it with the cornstarch mixture. Make sure to massage the chicken for 5 minutes. Let the chicken sit for 20 minutes.

While waiting, we can make the sauce. In a bowl, mix the following ingredients: 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of Tian Mian Sauce, 2.5 tbsp of soybean paste, 1 tsp of sugar to the rest of the aromatic water. Set it aside.

Turn the heat to low. Add about 3 tbsp of oil to the wok. Toss in the 3/4 cup of pecans. Stir for a couple of minutes until they become crunchy. Take them out and leave the oil in wok.

Turn the heat to high and toss in the chicken. Stir for a few minutes or until the chicken halfway cooked. Take the chicken out and set it aside.

Turn the heat to low. Pour the sauce into the same wok. Stir it on low heat for a few minutes. Add thinly sliced garlic, ginger, and the reserved white part of the scallion. Stir until fragrant.

Introduce the toasted pecan and the chicken back to the wok. Keep mixing for a couple of minutes until all the chicken is coated with the sauce, and you are done.