You will need a large wok or sturdy, non-stick or well-seasoned large frying pan to make this dish. You will also need a 3-4 quart saucepan, strainer, and bowl to make the broth.

Make the marinade:

Place the sliced chicken, rice wine, cornstarch mixed with water, and salt together in a bowl, mix well to combine, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Make the Gong Bao broth:

In a four-quart saucepan, bring the Sichuan peppercorns, black peppercorns, red chiles, white sugar, garlic bulb, ginger, red vinegar, water, soy sauce, and rice wine to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain by setting a strainer over a heat-proof bowl. Allow to cool, reserving the strained matter.

Start your rice.

Finish the dish:

Take the chicken out of the fridge.

Have a large dish ready.

In a large wok or frying pan, heat the peanut oil. Slide chicken into the wok and stir-fry until just cooked through. Add the scallion. Turn the heat to low.

Pick out the garlic and hot pepper from the strainer if you wish, for adding to finished dish. Discard remaining material in strainer.

Pour strained broth into the wok and increase the heat to medium, stirring to blend. If you want to reduce the broth, remove chicken to your side dish, crank up the heat, and reduce to your liking. Turn down the burner, return chicken to the wok, and stir to reheat and incorporate. Scatter peanuts over the top, and serve with rice.

Notes

The original recipe called for celery, sliced and added at the same time as the scallion. Feel free to include it. Two people simply cannot finish bunches of celery before they go limp, so I rarely buy it.

Sichuan peppercorns and red vinegar are available at Asian markets or online.

Sterilize a dirty cutting board by washing it thoroughly with warm soapy water and rubbing surfaces with a halved lemon.

I like to let the strained peppercorn/garlic/ginger cool a bit, then pick out the garlic bulb and a few whole hot red peppers. The garlic is soft and creamy. Diner can decide whether or not to cut up the pepper and add it to their meal.

The original recipe directs readers to reduce the Gong Bao broth until it coats the chicken. I find it impossible to do this without overcooking the poultry, and prefer a saucier dish. Reduce as much as you wish.

Gong Bao Chicken is Sichuanese, meaning it should be extremely spicy. But you can control how many Sichuan peppercorns and dried hot peppers you want to add. This recipe gives a medium hot result.

Leftover chicken will keep, refrigerated, up to three days. Rice is highly perishable. Cool it quickly, refrigerate it, and consume within 2 days. This should not be difficult.