Recipe - Mandarin Chicken From Chinese Cooking

1 Chicken breast (about 1
lb.), skinned, boned
Salt
2 teaspoon Cornstarch
One half Egg white; slightly beaten
One half cup Bamboo shoots; minced
One half cup Water chestnuts; quartered
One half cup Fresh mushrooms; quartered,
or 4 oz. canned mushrooms,
well drained
1 Rib celery; cut or sliced up
diagonally into One half inch
pieces
3 Green onions; minced
2 teaspoon Chinese rice wine; or dry
sherry
One fourth cup Oyster sauce; or soy sauce
One half cup Chicken broth; or water
One half teaspoon Sugar
One half cup Blanched almonds;
stirfried***
Peanut oil
Water

PREPARATION: Cut chicken into cubes. In a small bowl, combine cubed
chicken, One half teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and egg white. Set aside
for 15 to 20 minutes. On a platter, arrange prepared bamboo shoots, water
chestnuts, mushrooms, celery and green onions. Set aside. Have wine
measured and ready to add as needed. In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce,
broth, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and sugar. Set aside. Have cooked almonds,
peanut oil, water and salt ready to add as needed.

METHOD: In wok heat 1One half cups oil to 375 degrees or until a cube of bread
dropped in oil rises to the surface and browns quickly. Add chicken and
stir gently with spatula to separate pieces. Cook until all pink color is
gone. Remove and drain chicken on paper towel. Set aside. Remove oil from
wok and wipe wok with a paper towel. To wok add 1 tablespoon oil and heat
until oil just begins to smoke. Add celery and a pinch of salt; stirfry
briefly. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water down the sides of wok and stirfry for
1 to 2 minutes. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Add a pinch of salt
and stirfry until vegetables are heated through. Remove from wok and set
aside. To wok add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until oil just begins to smoke.
Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt; sprinkle 1 tablespoon water down the
sides of wok and stirfry until mushrooms are heated through, about 30
seconds. Return cooked vegetables to wok and drizzle with wine. Stirfry
briefly and return chicken to wok, stirfrying to combine. Make a well and
add oyster sauce mixture. Stirfry to heat through. Add green onions and
stirfry to combine. Remove to a serving platter and garnish with almonds.
Serve at once.

Serves 2 to 3 American Style, 4 to 6 Chinese style.

***To stirfry almonds, cashews or peanuts, heat 1 cup peanut oIl in wok to
375 degrees or until a cube of bread dropped in oil rises to the surface
and browns quickly. Add blanched nuts and stirfry just until light brown.
(Be sure to keep heat at an even temperature, since nuts burn easily.)
Remove nuts at once and drain on paper towel; salt nuts lightly and set
aside.

MC formatted by Brenda Adams adamsfmle@sprintmail.com and MC_Buster. MC
post 9/19/97.

Recipe by: Mary Wilson, "Chinese Cooking" 1979

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #791 by Badams adamsfmle@sprintmail.com on
Sep 19, 1997