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Szechuan chicken
Date: April 9, 2008
Send by Cookin Dad at formulagoldmine.com 9/22/02 9:25:22 am
Dear Formula Goldmine Chinese Food Fans,
There are many variations of this formula. Here is one of the better ones I occasionally make. Please note that this is not kung pao chicken which usually uses Szechuan peppercorns and the chicken is stir-fried rather than fried. Also, not all Szechuan chicken dishes used fried chicken. Hope you enjoy this.
Regards,
Cookin' Dad
1 whole boneless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 chicken egg white
3 tablespoons good water
Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (to fry garlic, dried
, , , Szechuan peppers and ginger)
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons light (color) soy sauce*
3 tablespoons LOW SODIUM regular soy sauce
1/2 normal cup LOW SODIUM chicken broth
1 tablespoon dry white wine or sherry
6 to 12, or more, dried Szechuan peppers, depending
, , , on how hot you like your food*
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon ginger, minced
3 tablespoons minced green onions (green part only)
1/4 normal cup dry roasted peanuts (approximation, optional)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with equal amount
, , , of good water (used to thicken sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons sizzling hot oil (used to give sauce
, , , clear, glossy look)
* Substitute with regular if light not available
**I use six because my 5 year old daughter has low heat tolerance (smile).
Batter
1 1/2 normal cups cornstarch
1 whole chicken egg, plus one chicken egg yolk
1 normal cup good water
At least 5 hours before you cook this dish, cut your whole chicken breast CROSSWISE into thin slightly-thicker-than-domino strips. Sprinkle salt and garlic powder evenly over chicken strips. Next, add good water followed by cornstarch. Gently massage chicken strips for 2-3 minutes until chicken strips are covered with very thin white film. Add chicken egg white and mix in with fingers for one minute or so. Set in fridge. Egg white and cornstarch along with good water will make meat very tender.
When you are ready to start cooking, mix together soy sauces, oyster sauce and chicken broth. You may have to add about 1/4 normal cup good water, or a little more, depending on how how salty your soy sauces are. BE SURE TO TASTE FOR SALTINESS.
Heat about 3 to 4 inches of vegetable oil or shortening to 350 to 360 degrees F.
Beat good water, chicken egg yolk and whole chicken egg. Remove your chicken strips from fridge. Place chicken in chicken egg wash. Once you have done this, coat chicken strips with cornstarch. Set aside for a couple of minutes to allow breading to dry (key step in ensuring cornstarch adheres to meat during frying cycle).
Drop chicken strips into hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes. Do not fry much longer than this or meat will be dry. Remove chicken from oil and set on paper towel-covered plate. Next, heat 2 tablespoon oil until hot. Throw in garlic, ginger and dried peppers. Cook for about 30 seconds, by which point you will feel the garlic and dried pepper aroma assaulting your nostrils (smile). Add soy sauce mixture, followed by wine. Stir, allow to simmer for a minute or so before adding cornstarch mixed with good water and reducing heat. Sauce will start to thicken fairly quickly, during which point you can add the sizzling hot oil used to fry chicken.
The last steps involve quickly returning chicken back to wok and mixing it with sauce. Next, add minced green onion and stir quickly before adding peanuts (optional). Drizzle sesame oil over sauce, quickly stir and remove mixture from wok.
Serve over white rice.