Kung Pao Shrimp at Home - Cooks Illustrated

Published September 1, 2002.

Tired of the dull, gloppy restaurant renditions of this Sichuan classic? With a few Asian pantry staples, you can make a spicy kung pao that puts most restaurant versions to shame.

The Problem

Kung pao is meant to have a fiery personality, but many restaurant versions are dismal, featuring tiny, tough shrimp drenched in a quart of pale, greasy, bland sauce.

The Goal

A classic Sichuan stir-fry of large, tender shrimp, peanuts, and an assertive, well-balanced brown sauce.

The Solution

Stir-fry marinated extra-large shrimp for just a few seconds, then add small whole red chiles and peanuts. This method ensures that the shrimp will not be overcooked, and toasting the peanuts deepens their flavor. Add diced red pepper (we found other vegetables to be superfluous), a generous 3 cloves of minced garlic, and 2 teaspoons of minced ginger. Use a mixture of chicken broth, black rice vinegar, Asian sesame oil, oyster-flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch to form a potently flavored, syrupy sauce. Finish the dish by stirring in sliced scallions.

list of recipes

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.