Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 ounce hot chile paste
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
4 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts
4 ounces chopped peanuts

Directions

To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together.

Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade.

Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar.
Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.

Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear.

When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

I was at a Chinese restaurant with an Italian family and a Chinese family last evening for a Chinese dinner in Tallinn Estonia. I was wondering how the name comes about. Today I found out that this dish was named about a Qing Dynasty official and governor of Sichuan Province. Based on his title Gongbao (宫保; pinyin: Gōngbǎo) which literally means 'a palace guardian'. This official is Ding Baozhen who lived from 1820 to 1886. I just think how amazing this dish has become today!