When I returned home I immediately began to study Fuchsia Dunlop's Land of Plenty, to assemble the necessary ingredients, and to experiment in the kitchen. All modesty aside, I think my previous interpretations of these classic, spicy dishes were spot-on delicious. But both are heavy in oil and meat, and even more so in my renditions.
Can an Apocalypse Diet version of these dishes be found? Yes. I call it gōng bǎo shūcài - gong bao vegetables. You see, gong bao isn't really about the meat. It's really about the sichuan peppercorn. And unless you have actually traveled to China or eaten in a very authentic restaurant you may have never actually tasted these (even if you have ordered gong bao (kung pao) chicken in your local chinese eatery. The real things are really distinctive. They taste a bit like tree sap and they make your mouth feel physically numb. Honestly. And yes, this is a good thing though they can be a bit of an acquired taste - so if you are not very adventurous with spices you might want to start slow. Sichuan peppercorns can be hard to find, and I've found their quality varies widely. Your local asian grocery may or may not carry them, but they are certainly available online. Try different brands to find one that you like.
Most of the other ingredients are pretty easy to find in your local asian market, or even some good supermarkets. The black vinegar is another, specifically chinese ingredient that is in a class by itself. I don't think I would try to substitute a western vinegar here.
Green beans, especially long, asian varieties would be super yummy. But those are not ready in my garden yet (that dish WILL happen later this summer, but not yet). So I tried it with pea pods and the results were wonderful. The sauce is a modification of the recipe in Dunlop's book, to suit the apocalypse diet....
STEPS:
1. Assemble the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
1 tsp light soy
1 tsp dark soy (or 2 tsp of any soy sauce if you don't have light and dark)
1Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 Tbsp black vinegar
1 Tbsp agave nectar or other sweetener
few drops sesame oil
2 tsp corn starch
pinch or two of salt
2. Wash and set aside the veggies...
1 cup snow pea pods
1 cup freshly sprouted mung beans
.5 to 1 sweet red bell pepper
1 yellow or white onion
... and the aromatics.
1 Tbsp chopped or sliced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
3. In either a dry pan, or in a small amount of oil, heat the red chili pods. If you throw them in whole they can be more easily picked out of the final dish - that is most authentic. In China they would be fried until they were nearly burnt and smoked up your kitchen (a.k.a. dragon's breath). If you have lung problems or poor ventilation, don't take them that far. Their smoke is painful. Toss the sichuan peppercorns in towards the end of this process. They can be added either whole (this is more authentic) or slightly ground (this is my preference).
1 Tbsp dried red chili pods (small asian varieties are best) or more to taste
1 Tbsp sichuan (or szechuan) peppercorns
4. Add the onion, and stir fry adding small amounts of water as needed. Once the onion gets going toss in the garlic and ginger, and then add the red pepper, pea pods and bean sprouts (I go in that order) and cook until desired doneness. I like this dish cooked so that the vegetables are cooked and tender, but still with a bit of crispness. They will continue to cook a bit more when you add the sauce.
5. Toss in the sauce and reduce heat. Stir thru and allow to thicken slightly.
6. Garnish with toasted peanuts and sliced green onion.peanuts (to taste - I use about a quarter-cup per person for a main course)
3-4 scallions cut on the bias
Serve with brown rice and cucumber pickle (cuke in a marinade of rice vinegar and sweetener of your choice).
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