Kung Pao-style chicken cubes

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 m.-large plum tomatoes
• e.g. salt and pepper
• 2 Pepper, red, long, mild to medium hot
• n. B. flowers and leaves
• 280 g chicken breast, skinless and boneless, frozen
• 1 egg white, size M
• 2 pinch(s) chicken broth powder
• 1 pinch(s) black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tbsp rice wine, dark
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil for frying
• 15 g pepper, red, long, hot, dried
• 10 g garlic clove(s)
• 15 g ginger, fresh or frozen
• 100 g longan fruits (canned)
• 4 tbsp peanuts or beans, roasted
• 4 tbsp fruit juice, reserved (longan juice)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine, dark, mild, fruity
• 1 tsp sugar, fine
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar, light brown
• 1 tsp tapioca flour
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, dark

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

A spicy Szechuan side dish. Toned down here with logan fruit.

To garnish: Make tomato blossoms from the washed tomatoes, i.e. cut them lengthwise four times approximately 80% through. If necessary, loosen the eight petals from the core and bend them outwards slightly. Season the inside with salt and pepper to taste (see photo). Make exotic blossoms from the peppers, i.e. quarter the washed peppers lengthwise approximately 2 cm from the stem. Remove seeds and membranes and carefully halve the quarters lengthwise. Let them soak in plenty of water. The chicken breast: Let it thaw and then cut across the grain into slices approximately 1.5 cm thick. Cut crosswise into strips of the same width. Marinate: Mix all ingredients until smooth and marinate the chicken pieces until ready to use, turning occasionally. For the filling: Cut the dried peppers crosswise into pieces approximately 2 cm wide. Peel and squeeze the garlic cloves. Peel the fresh ginger and cut into small pieces. Strain the longan fruits. Set aside the peanuts or broad beans. For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and set aside. Deep fry: Heat 1.5 liters of deep frying oil to 190 degrees Celsius. Drop the chicken pieces into the oil, one at a time. Remove any light-brown pieces with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper, and keep warm. Stir-fry: Heat the sunflower oil in a wok until very hot. Add the dried chili peppers, garlic cloves, and ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the longan fruits and peanuts, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Deglaze with the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Then stir in the chicken pieces. Serve: Place the tomato blossoms in the serving bowls. Add the cooked chicken pieces from the wok, Kung Pao style. Garnish with the chili blossoms and, if desired, with flowers and leaves, serve, and enjoy. Notes: Kung Pao was a high-ranking official in the Kingdom of China. He loved dishes with peanuts. And whenever a dish bearing his name appears, peanuts are almost always included. The longan fruits can be replaced with lychee or rambutan. Halve whole rambutans.