Here is a recipe for Gong Bao Chicken, originally a dish from Sichuan Province in the west this culinary masterpiece has travelled to all corners of Middle Kingdom. 

Ingredients: 

350g of chicken breast 

6 - 12 dried red chili peppers 

1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns 

1 onion 

40g/2 tbsp cashew nuts or peanuts (optional) 

2 or 3 cloves of garlic - minced 

3 thin slices of ginger - shredded 

½ egg white – lightly beaten 

2 tbsp cornstarch 

1/2 cup cooking oil 

Marinade for chicken: 

½ tsp salt 

½ tsp cooking wine 

Sauce (mix together): 

½ tsp cooking wine 

¾ tbsp vinegar 

2 tbsp soy sauce 

1 1/2 tbsp sugar 

1 tbsp water 

Preparation: 

Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes and put in marinade. 

Cut the dried chilies into about 2cm pieces, shake off as much of the seeds as possible, then wash and soak them for 30 minutes or until soft. Drain. 

Wash and take out outer skin of the onion and cut it cross-sectionally into 8 sections (6 if the onion small). Loosen the sections roughly. 

Rinse the cashew nuts and drain off excess water. 

Cooking: 

First, the cashew nuts are fried by putting them in cold oil. Keep turning them as the oil gets hotter and to ensure even browning. Scoop up when they turn golden brown. If using peanuts, have them roasted beforehand. 

Next, we fry the chicken. Mix the chicken pieces with the egg white. Add in the cornstarch and mix thoroughly. When the oil is ready, put all the chicken in. (The oil is sufficient for shallow frying; if deep-frying is preferred, more oil is needed). Spread the pieces out and let fry for 2 or 3 minutes before turning over to fry the other side. If deep-frying, keep turning until the meat is browned. Dish out and drain excess oil. 

Heat the wok and put in 1 tablespoon of oil (you may use oil left over from frying the chicken), add garlic and ginger and fry for a few seconds. Then add the softened dried chilies and stir-fry for a minute or two. 

Now add in the onion and continue to stir-fry for a short while. 

Next, add the seasoning sauce, chicken and cashew nuts or peanuts and mix thoroughly. 

Turn off the heat as soon as everything is well mixed. There should not be a lot of sauce left - just enough for the chicken pieces to be coated with it. 

Serve and enjoy!