The need for my gong bao recipe, one of the pillars of Chinese sauce mastery *, came up in conversation so here are the details recycled from a post long ago. This sauce is what you find wrapped around your beloved Kung Pao Chicken or Broccoli Beef takeaway at the local Chinese. Make a batch and leave it in your fridge for weeks at the ready for when you get in a wok mood. It definitely gets better with a little age.
* To borrow an idea from French cooking terminology, aka “mother sauces”, but not to be confused with THE Chinese master sauce which is more of a spice-infused soy broth concoction. Gong bao sits comfortably on par with hoisin, oyster, and black bean… amongst others.
As you can see at the top of the page, I suggest an insanely hot wok, a good mix of vegetables tossed around in a touch of oil for three minutes, and a couple spoonfuls of this sauce at the end. Peanuts optional. Over a heaping plate of rice or noodles with fortune cookies on the side and you can skip calling the delivery guy.
If you want the stock standard takeaway versions of Kung Pao Chicken, simply “chao” (flash fry at high heat, typically in a wok) boneless chicken thighs cut any way you like them in canola or peanut oil with a couple of tiny Asian dried chiles and bit of chopped carrot or celery. No other seasoning is really needed because it’s all in the sauce you add with roasted peanuts in the last minute or so of frying. That speed of assembly is why I suspect it’s a favourite amongst hurried Chinese restaurateurs. Thin the sauce to your desired consistency once it’s in the pan with a bit of water (or Shaoxing rice wine if you have it) and your friends will think you a wok genius.
Gong Bao Master Sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (e.g. canola, peanut, etc.)
6 large cloves garlic, minced fine
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced fine
3 tablespoons Asian chile & garlic paste, recipe here or use quality ready made
175 ml soy sauce*
125 grams white sugar
75 ml cup rice wine vinegar
* I wouldn’t waste great tamari here, just get a decent stock brand. I’ve used both ‘light’ and ‘dark’ versions successfully. It’s down to where you want your sauce to fall on the spectrum.
Yield: 375ml sauce
Make a thin slurry of the cornstarch and 150 ml cold water.
In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil, garlic, ginger, and chile paste. Saute about a minute, stirring constantly. Add the soy, sugar, and vinegar and continue to cook for two minutes being careful to prevent boiling over by stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat and drizzle in the cornstarch slurry in a small but constant stream while whisking. Return to heat and cook just until thick, about an additional minute.
Can be used immediately buts gets even better with a few days meditation in the fridge. Store in a sealed, airtight jar under refrigeration for weeks to use on Kung Pao demand.
