Chicken Chop Suey Recipe
This is the classical "Chicken Chop Suey" dish that heralded Chinese food to the western world at the end of the nineteenth century - it is rather amazing to think that one of the world's greatest cuisines should have been represented by a dish that did not even originate in China itself, but thousands of miles away in San Francisco, USA!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 - 6 ounces (115 - 175 grams) chicken meat, thinly shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 egg white
1 tablespoon thick cornflour/cornstarch paste - (1 part cornflour with 1.2 parts cold water)
about 1/2 pint (300 ml) seasoned oil (see below)
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (optional)
1 tablespoon thinly shredded fresh ginger root
3 - 4 spring onions, thinly shredded
4 - 6 ounces (115 - 175 grams) bean sprouts
1 small green pepper, cored and seeded, thinly shredded
1/2 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons stock
pinch of MSG (optional)
a few drops sesame oil
Mix the chicken shreds with a pinch of the salt, the egg white and about 1 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch paste. Blanch them in warm oil, stir to separate, then remove and drain them.
Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the wok, stir-fry all the vegetables for about 1 minute, add the remaining salt and sugar, blend well, then add the chicken with the soy sauce and wine, stir-fry for another minute, and add the stock and MSG, if using; finally thicken the gravy with the remaining cornflour paste, garnish with the sesame oil and serve hot.
B-man
