Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I cooked this last night and enjoyed it immensely. I upped the peppercorns to 2 tablespoons and the chile paste to about 2.5 tablespoons; this resulted in a dish much like I've had at Peter Chang's Tasty China or at Qhong Qing Hot Pot in Chinatown Mall. The chicken does indeed come out quite dry and leathery, presumably the desired result.

eatitatlanta: You might want to try one of the cast iron, multi-layered woks available at Tongnan Fa Restaurant Supply in Chamblee (I believe they're Cantonese-sourced; the manufacturer is Red Sun). They're astonishingly stick-free and heat up and retain heat miraculously. Not cheap, though, at $96. I have two of them and will never go back to spun steel.

Unless you're really into an authentic Szechwan experience (i.e., very oily), I recommend you drain both chicken portions immediately after stir-frying. You will capture the escaping meat juices better and not dilute out the peppercorns and chile paste. 1/4 cup of peppercorns is about right; I used 2 tablespoons of chile paste to up the heat ante a bit. I second the suggestion above to cook the garlic-ginger mixture alone and then add the chicken, peanuts, and chilies. On most home stoves, it is unlikely that you'll be able to get any char on the leeks before they soften to mush.

Four servings? You've got to be kidding. This looks like a hearty bed-time snack pour moi!