Spicy chiles and tingly Sichuan peppercorns team up with lightly sauced chicken and peanuts in a stir-fry that's literally sensational. Gōngbǎo jīdīng is a Sichuan classic said to be named after a Qing Dynasty official who was particularly enamored of the dish (gōngbǎo refers to his title, while jīdīng means diced chicken). The stir-fry is often referred to as kung pao chicken on Chinese restaurant menus. We started our version of the spicy, tingly dish by toasting peanuts in a skillet to maximize their crunch before setting them aside to cool. Next we toasted crushed Sichuan peppercorns and arbol chiles that we'd halved lengthwise to release their heat. We stirred in plenty of garlic and ginger and then added marinated diced chicken thighs. We covered the skillet to facilitate quick and even cooking of the chicken. When it was almost cooked through, we added some celery for crisp freshness and then a quick and concentrated sauce mixture that cooked down to a glaze. Stirring in the scallions and toasted peanuts last ensured that they retained their all-important crunch.
