Recipe: Chicken chow mein.
Adapted from Rhonda Lauren Parkinson's The Everything Chinese Cookbook. I didn't quite have all the ingrendients vegetable-wise that the recipe recommended, so I ended up snagging what fresh vegetables I had from my refrigerator and using them. It turned out surprisingly well, I think.
Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients:
Noodles:
* 1/2-lb thick spaghetti or lo mein noodles
* 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
* 2 tablespoons peanut (or other vegetable) oil, for stir-frying
Meat and Marinade:
* 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 6 teaspoons oyster sauce (I recommend Sun Luck Spicy Oyster Sauce)
* 2 teaspoons soy sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir-Fry Miscellaneous:
* 2 tablespoons peanut (or other vegetable) oil, for stir-frying
* 3 cloves garlic, diced
* 2 small onions, quartered and chopped
* 4 - 5 stalks celery, chopped
* 12 baby carrots, chopped
* 1/2 - 1 cup of cashews
Sauce:
* 1/3 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 water
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 4 teaspoons oyster sauce (again, Sun Luck Spicy Oyster Sauce recommended)
Thickener:
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 4 teaspoons water
* 1 teaspoon sugar
Method:
1. Boil the noodles. Drain thoroughly and toss with sesame oil.
2. While the noodles are cooking, cut the chicken breasts into thin strips, no more than several inches long. Marinate in 6 teaspoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt for 15 - 20 minutes.
3. While noodles cook and chicken marinates, cut up garlic, onions, carrots, and celery. Put each in separate bowls and set aside. (Other possible vegetables to put in include red bell pepper, bok choy, mushrooms, or mung bean sprouts, even though I didn't add them to this particular preparation.)
4. Combine chicken broth, water, 4 teaspoons oyster sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 4 teaspoons water, and 1 teaspoon sugar in another small bowl. Set aside.
5. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil to a preheated wok or skillet. Add the noodles and stir-fry until they turn light brown. Remove and keep warm.
6. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil to wok or skillet. Add garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and oil takes on the garlic's flavor. Add chopped onion to wok, stir-fry for 2 - 4 minutes or until onions turn golden.
7. Add chicken and stir-fry until chicken is nearly done. Add celery and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes; add carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute; add cashews and stir-fry for 1 minute.
8. Pour chicken broth sauce to the middle of the wok and bring it to a boil. Add the cornstarch/water/sugar mixture, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the noodles, and stir-fry 1 minute more. Serve hot immediately.
The recipe turned out surprisingly well, I thought. The chicken is nicely seasoned, and the sauce has a subtle sweet-peppery taste that's not too thick and not too watery. Overall, quite good, even if it's not too hot -- but then again, with chow mein you don't want something to be too hot.
My overall rating? 4.5/5. Quite good, but not OMG-falling-over fantastic. : )
Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients:
Noodles:
* 1/2-lb thick spaghetti or lo mein noodles
* 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
* 2 tablespoons peanut (or other vegetable) oil, for stir-frying
Meat and Marinade:
* 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 6 teaspoons oyster sauce (I recommend Sun Luck Spicy Oyster Sauce)
* 2 teaspoons soy sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir-Fry Miscellaneous:
* 2 tablespoons peanut (or other vegetable) oil, for stir-frying
* 3 cloves garlic, diced
* 2 small onions, quartered and chopped
* 4 - 5 stalks celery, chopped
* 12 baby carrots, chopped
* 1/2 - 1 cup of cashews
Sauce:
* 1/3 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 water
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 4 teaspoons oyster sauce (again, Sun Luck Spicy Oyster Sauce recommended)
Thickener:
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 4 teaspoons water
* 1 teaspoon sugar
Method:
1. Boil the noodles. Drain thoroughly and toss with sesame oil.
2. While the noodles are cooking, cut the chicken breasts into thin strips, no more than several inches long. Marinate in 6 teaspoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt for 15 - 20 minutes.
3. While noodles cook and chicken marinates, cut up garlic, onions, carrots, and celery. Put each in separate bowls and set aside. (Other possible vegetables to put in include red bell pepper, bok choy, mushrooms, or mung bean sprouts, even though I didn't add them to this particular preparation.)
4. Combine chicken broth, water, 4 teaspoons oyster sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 4 teaspoons water, and 1 teaspoon sugar in another small bowl. Set aside.
5. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil to a preheated wok or skillet. Add the noodles and stir-fry until they turn light brown. Remove and keep warm.
6. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil to wok or skillet. Add garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and oil takes on the garlic's flavor. Add chopped onion to wok, stir-fry for 2 - 4 minutes or until onions turn golden.
7. Add chicken and stir-fry until chicken is nearly done. Add celery and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes; add carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute; add cashews and stir-fry for 1 minute.
8. Pour chicken broth sauce to the middle of the wok and bring it to a boil. Add the cornstarch/water/sugar mixture, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the noodles, and stir-fry 1 minute more. Serve hot immediately.
The recipe turned out surprisingly well, I thought. The chicken is nicely seasoned, and the sauce has a subtle sweet-peppery taste that's not too thick and not too watery. Overall, quite good, even if it's not too hot -- but then again, with chow mein you don't want something to be too hot.
My overall rating? 4.5/5. Quite good, but not OMG-falling-over fantastic. : )