Szechuan Chicken
Szechuan Chicken
Posted by Cookin Dad at recipegoldmine
com 9/22/02 9:25:22 am
Dear Recipe Goldmine Chinese Food Fans,
There are many variations of this recipe
Here is one of the better ones I occasionally make
Please note that this is not kung pao chicken which usually uses Szechuan peppercorns & 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 tps salt
1/4 tps garlic powder
2 tpss cornstarch
1 egg white
3 Tbspwater
Sauce
2 Tbspvegetable oil (to fry garlic, dried
Szechuan peppers & ginger)
3 Tbspoyster sauce
3 Tbsplight (color) soy sauce*
3 TbspLOW SODIUM regular soy sauce
1/2 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 tps ginger, minced
3 Tbspminced green onions (green part only)
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts (approximation, optional)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tpss cornstarch mixed with equal amount
of water (used to thicken sauce)
1 1/2 Tbspsizzling 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 cups cornstarch
1 whole egg, plus one egg yolk
1 cup water
At least 5 hrs before you cook this dish, cut your whole chicken breast CROSSWISE into thin slightly-thicker-than-domino strips
Sprinkle salt & garlic powder evenly over chicken strips
Next, add water followed by cornstarch
Gently massage chicken strips for 2-3 min until chicken strips are covered with very thin white film
Add egg white & mix in with fingers for one minute or so
Set in fridge
Egg white & cornstarch along with water will make meat very tender
When you are ready to start cooking, mix together soy sauces, oyster sauce & chicken broth
You may have to add about 1/4 cup 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 deg F
Beat water, egg yolk & whole egg
Remove your chicken strips from fridge
Place chicken in egg wash
Once you have done this, coat chicken strips with cornstarch
Set aside for a couple of min to allow breading to dry (key step in ensuring cornstarch adheres to meat during frying cycle)
Drop chicken strips into hot oil & fry for about 2 min
Do not fry much longer than this or meat will be dry
Remove chicken from oil & set on paper towel-covered plate
Next, heat 2 tablespoon oil until hot
Throw in garlic, ginger & dried peppers
Cook for about 30 seconds, by which point you will feel the garlic & 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 water & 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 & mixing it with sauce
Next, add minced green onion & stir quickly before adding peanuts (optional)
Drizzle sesame oil over sauce, quickly stir & remove mixture from wok
Serve over white rice
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