Just Like P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken

I usually avoid "clone" recipes.  I find they are a typically a pain in the butt.  Plus, why would you want to spend hours trying to "clone" a candy bar when you can grab the real thing for under $1.
However, due to my recent carrer change, we have not been eating out as much lately.  The guy that owns the Papa John's around the corner from my house has been missing me.
When I was working full time, I would call my husband a few times a week and have him pick up some lovely take out on the way home.  He works by a lot of great restaurants.   However, without my wages earned from driving myself crazy on a daily basis, we have limited our eating out to special occasions. 
My husands really wanted some P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken, his favoriate dish.  He scoured the internet and kept emailing me recipes as a subtual hint.  I finally relented and told him that if he helped me in the kitchen, I would buy the stuff to make it.
Some of these clone recipes call for wierd ingreatients.  One called for Potato Starch.  I'm assuming it's like corn starch?  But who knows.  Anyway, I picked the one out that looked the easiest for the home cook.  I did tweak it a little by adding vegetables.  The orginal we found on Epicurious, which this is based on, did not include veggies. (see http://m.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/P-F-CHANGS-CHANGS-SPICY-CHICKEN-50004573)
Also I searved this over brown rice, just because I prefer it.  You will need a traditional wok for this recipe.  If you don't have one, I suppose you could try this in a skillet, but I wouldn't guarantee the results.

Just Like P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped green onions (about 3 onions)
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable oil
About 1 1/2 lb of chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch 3 carrots, sliced
2 small handfuls pea pods
2 cup cooked white or brown rice

Preparation

 

 

1. Make the sauce by heating 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in medium saucepan. Sauté the garlic and onion in the oil for just a few seconds, not allowing the ingredients to burn, then quickly add the pineapple juice, followed by chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.

2. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water and add it to the other ingredients in the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and continue to simmer on medium/high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick and syrupy.



3. Heat up 2 tablespoons veg oil in wok,  stir fry carrots and pea pods until done.  Take veggies out of wok.  Set aside for later.

4. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a wok or a medium saucepan over medium heat.

5. While oil heats up, chop chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. In a large Ziploc bag, toss chicken pieces with cornstarch until well-dusted.

6. Sauté coated chicken in the hot oil, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Remove chicken to a rack or paper towels to drain for a moment. Pour chicken into a medium bowl, add sauce and veggies and toss well to coat. Serve immediately with rice on the side. 

This is so good.  I couldn't believe how easy it was.  I really tasted just like the restaurant without tons of fuss.  It had a mild to medium heat that was not overpowering.  This would also be great with some oolong tea on the side.  Grab some chopsticks and it will seem like you just dropped bucks on a nice night out.