Chinois Kung Pao Chicken
Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 egg whites
2 tbsp. each Chinese rice wine, peanut oil, + more for cooking. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
enough peanut oil, for deep frying
Sauce:
6 tbsp. each light soy sauce, rice vinegar
4 tbsp. each Chinese rice wine, sugar, hoisin sauce
Stir-Frying:
8 small dried red chilies, stems removed and discarded, pods halved
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, smashed
2 cloves garlics, smashed
2 green onions, white parts cut into 1/2" pieces, green part cut into thin julienne strips
1/2 cup shelled and skinned raw peanuts, roasted at 350° F. until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes
4 tbsp. cold canned chicken broth + 1 tbsp. cornstarch, stirred together until cornstarch dissolves completely
Directions
First, prepare chicken. Thoroughly trim chicken breast halves. Cut crosswise into slices 1/4" thick. In a nonreactive bowl, whisk egg whites until slightly frothy. Add rice wine, 2 tbsp. peanut oil, soy sauce, cornstarch and salt. Stir until thoroughly combined and cornstarch has dissolved completely. Stir in chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes - up to several hours. About 45 minutes before serving, remove chicken from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. About 20 minutes before serving, in a large wok, heat 2 - 3" of peanut oil to a temperature of about 300° F. (175º C) on a deep-frying thermometer. Stir chicken pieces in their marinade, then remove them from marinade, letting excess liquid drip off, and very carefully add to hot oil, taking care not to splash. Using long cooking chopsticks or a wooden spoon, stir chicken gently to separate slices, and cook only until they turn uniformly white, about 20 seconds. Immediately remove with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain. In a small mixing bowl, stir sauce ingredients and set aside near stove. To stir-fry, carefully pour off all but 4 tbsp. oil from wok, wiping side of wok with paper towels to eliminate any drips. Return wok to high heat. As soon as oil is very hot and fragrant, add chilis, ginger, garlic and white parts of green onions. Stir-fry briskly until chilis turn dark red, 30 - 40 seconds. Immediately add chicken and continue stir-frying until pieces are completely cooked and light golden, 1 - 2 minutes more. Stir in sauce and cook until it reaches a boil. Add peanuts, drizzle in broth-cornstarch mixture, and stir gently until sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat chicken, about 1 minute more. Transfer stir-fry to a serving plate and garnish with strips of green onion. Serve immediately. Makes 4 - 6 servings.