CHICKEN WITH GARLIC SAUCE
To begin, this Chicken with Garlic Sauce meal is nothing like the Chinese takeout you might be used to. This is a 99-to-1 improvement. I know what I’m talking about. Trust me.
Aside from that, the winter bamboo harvest is in full swing. They’re now available in your neighborhood Asian grocer’s shelves. They are a little pricey because they are imported from China, but they are worth every penny. In particular, for those who haven’t had them previously. Please give it a shot.
If you can’t get fresh bamboo, the canned bamboo shoots in water will work just as well.
Finally, this chicken and garlic sauce meal is both authentic and quick to prepare. After a few minutes of cutting, you’ll have a restaurant-quality meal. Shredded pork is the most common ingredient in this meal in China. But today, we’ll be using chicken breasts in place of the pork loin. In the United States, chicken is more commonly utilized, and it is just as wonderful.
The recipe isn’t as hot as it appears, but you can omit the dried chilies and chili oil if you like. You can see a blend of white rice and millet, which is a little more nutritious and delicious than plain white rice.
INGREDIENTS:
CHICKEN:
- 280g of thinly sliced chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon of oil
- pinch of salt
SAUCE:
- 3/4 cup of chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
ADDITIONAL:
- 12 dried red chilies
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup of julienned reconstituted dried wood-ear mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons of chili oil
- 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 small winter bamboo shoot, julienned
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 scallion, sliced on an angle
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Add salt, cornstarch, and olive oil to the cut chicken. Set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl before you begin cooking. Set aside for now.
- In a medium-sized wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Cook for one minute after adding the dried chilis, ginger, and garlic. Add the chicken as soon as the heat is turned up to high. Stir-fry the chicken until it’s cooked through.
- Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, and bamboo shoots. Add 2 more minutes to the cooking time. Add the sauce and mix it all. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Salt, chile oil (if using), and cornstarch slurry can all be added at this point. Stir-fry for 30 seconds to allow the sauce to thicken before serving. Make sure everything is well mixed before serving with rice by adding scallions.