Kung Pao Chicken with Peanuts

From the garden

• 1 cup raw shelled peanuts, cured and dried · roasted and skinned; see garden note
• 10 dried red chiles, snipped in half, most seeds shaken out
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths, whites and greens kept apart

From the pantry

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp cornstarch · divided between the chicken and the sauce
• 3 tbsp soy sauce · divided
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar · black Chinkiang vinegar if you keep it
• 2 tsp sugar
• ⅓ cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, cut into thin coins
• 3 tbsp neutral oil · divided
• 2 cups long-grain rice · for serving
• salt · to taste

1. Roast the peanuts on a sheet pan at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, stirring once, until golden through the middle; break one open to check, since raw peanuts must cook through. Cool, then rub off the skins in a towel.
2. Toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch and leave it 15 minutes: that thin coating is what keeps the cubes juicy over high heat. Whisk the remaining soy sauce, the vinegar, sugar, stock, and last teaspoon of cornstarch into a sauce.
3. Start the rice. Heat a wok or wide skillet over high heat until a drop of water skitters, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, and spread the chicken in one layer. Sear undisturbed 2 minutes, then stir-fry 2 minutes more until just cooked through, and turn it onto a plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium, add the last tablespoon of oil, and fry the dried chiles 20–30 seconds, until they darken a shade and smell toasty. Keep them moving, because scorched chiles turn the whole dish bitter.
5. Add the garlic, ginger, and green onion whites and stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant, then return the chicken and pour in the sauce. Toss over high heat about 1 minute, until the glaze thickens and clings to every cube.
6. Cut the heat, fold in the peanuts and the green onion greens so the nuts stay crisp, and taste for salt. Serve straight away over rice, before the peanuts start drinking up the sauce.