Around the World in 80 Foods: Chinese Mango Chicken with Hot Pepper Jelly

Here to grace our international food blog is Mae Li Xing, intrepid archaeologist and linguist from the Kurgan's Secret! Now, before I introduce you all to Mae's mouth-watering family recipe...a few words about Mae herself! Any of you who have read about a few of her exploits in the epic saga mentioned above know that this young woman is an inspiring, driven, impish, fun-loving little 4 foot "pocket rocket" who will enthrall you with tales of the ancient Chinese language one moment, and then super-glue your hand to your coffee cup the next! Why am I telling you all this you might ask? Because this luscious, sweet and spicy dish encompasses all of Mae's personal qualities, as well as the misty anals of history she loves so much! Please enjoy the recipe to follow!

3 whole chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 lg. 2" by 1" chunck of fresh ginger root, finely grated

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1 1/2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

3/4 tsp salt

5-7 lg. green onions

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 heaping cups mango, cut or chopped into large chunks (I prefer fresh mango, but frozen can also be used)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. dry sherry

4 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. chicken bouillon

1/4 cup plus mixed hot pepoer jelly (habanero, serrano, jalepeno and bell pepper works very well!)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt, coat the chicken ( a plastic bag works well). In a traditional wok, heat 2 Tbsp. sesame oil and 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, cook chicken over medium heat until it pulls apart with a fork. Pull out of the wok and set aside. If needed add an extra tsp. of sesame oil, saute ginger and onions til soft and semi-translucent. Pull out and set aside. In a saucepan, combine sherry, soy sauce, bouillon, corn starch (whisk in and make sure it is thoroughly dissolved), add red pepoer jelky and cook over med-high heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. In the wok, place the chicken, mango, onions, ginger and sauce. Heat thoroughly and serve over rice ( I would recommend making no less than 3 cups if rice...remember the rule! Rice doubles, so if you want 3 cups if cooked rice, bring 3 cups of water to a boil, then add 1 1-2 cups white or jasmine rice, reduce heat and steam to perfection!)