- Chicken
- 1 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon toban djan (chili bean paste)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or sake
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- Sauce
- 1 tbsps rice wine or sake
- 1 tablespoon black bean sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- Aromatics
- ½ cup minced scallions
- 1.5 tablespoons peeled fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic
- 1 ½ small dried red hot chiles
- Peanut oil, for frying
- ½ lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
Velvet Chicken. Sexy name. Great dish. Classic technique. I wouldn’t call this entry-level Chinese cookery—it’s 201 course work—but any novice can produce a stellar version of this dish because it’s so easy to execute. The boiling of the marinated meat in oil results in a velvety texture that is the hallmark of this simple stir-fry. This is Cantonese cooking at its most elegant and your family will love you for it.
ingredients
directions
1. Chicken marinade: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the toban djan, salt, 2 tablespoons of the rice wine and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. Add the chicken and toss well, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. |
2. In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of peanut oil to 375°. Using a large slotted spoon, very carefully add one-third of the chicken to the hot oil and fry, stirring, until nearly cooked through and browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a paper towel-line baking sheet to drain. Repeat two more times with the remaining chicken. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the frying oil. |
3. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of rice wine with the black bean sauce, sugar, soy sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. |
4. In a wok or large skillet, heat the reserved 2 tablespoons of frying oil. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic and dried chiles and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and asparagus and stir-fry until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the black bean sauce mixture and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and serve. |
Notes
 Really only need to make half a recipe - with rice, that's still 3 full-size Evan meals. |
Categories
Chinese
