KUNG PAO CHICKEN, PAPI STYLE - Roy Choi

 I love kung pao chicken, and we—me and the Grove Street crew—ate loads of it because it was cheap or we were stoned. I love it in any way, any form, mall food court to fancy to hole in the wall to family home. This is my little homage to the steam well that exists in every city in every 99-cent-egg-roll storefront. Use equal parts chicken and vegetables

SERVES 4 TO 6

SAUCE

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek

1 tablespoon Chinese chili oil

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon Tapatío, Cholula, or other hot sauce

2 tablespoons natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons roasted garlic

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1½ teaspoons sugar

1½ teaspoons kochujang

1½ teaspoons kochukaru

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ jalapeño pepper

¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves

¼ cup roughly torn fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons minced lemongrass

onion, peeled

¼ cup chopped scallions

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1½ teaspoons roasted sesame seeds

¼ cup Asian sesame oil

FOR THE WOK

Canola oil

Dark-meat chicken, diced

Dried chile de árbol

Bell peppers, julienned

Onions, julienned

Scallions, julienned

Baby bok choy, julienned

Watercress

Chinese water spinach, roughly chopped

Eggplant, julienned

Fresh Thai basil leaves

Roasted peanuts

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Lime, halved

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree the shit out of them.

Heat a wok or large pan over high heat and add the oil, heating until it starts to smoke. Add the chicken and move it around until the meat is lightly caramelized and cooked almost through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add a touch more oil to the pan and turn the heat up full blast. Add the whole chile de árbol and swirl it around the pan. Then add all your veggies in whatever batch size you decide to make, but add them in equal portions.

Immediately after you throw in your vegetables, add ¼ cup of the pureed sauce for every two cups of chicken and/or vegetables, plus a splash of water to thin it all out slightly.

Add the chicken back to the pan and cook the stew together until the chicken is cooked through, about a minute. Turn off the heat.

Add the Thai basil and peanuts. Garnish with more Thai basil and cilantro. Splash it with half a lime if you have one around, then serve with rice.