Cantonese Fried Chicken Food

CRISPY PAN-FRIED NOODLES WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES (GAI SEE LIANG MEIN WONG)

Steps:

• Combine the dried mushrooms and 2 cups cool water in a medium bowl. Cover and let soak at room temperature for 4 hours.
• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a 14-inch wok over high heat. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until tender all the way through, about 3 minutes. Strain the noodles and divide them between two plates. Lift small amounts of noodles up and down with chopsticks to cool the noodles and form each plate of noodles into an 8-inch "bird's nest" shape. Let them cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, lightly cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cut the chicken thighs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Mix the chicken and 3/4 teaspoon each salt, sugar, cornstarch, light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine together in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon neutral oil until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
• Once the mushrooms are nearly rehydrated, bring 6 cups of water in the same wok to a boil. Blanch the carrots until slightly tender, about 1 minute. Strain the carrot out of the water with a spider or slotted spoon and place on a plate to cool slightly. Bring the water back to a boil, add the bok choy and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Strain the bok choy and place with the carrot. Set aside.
• Prepare the scallions by cutting them into 2-inch pieces, then thinly slicing them lengthwise. Chop the garlic so everything is ready for stir-frying.
• Meanwhile, mix the oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, and the dark soy sauce together in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
• Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 5 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
• Remove the mushrooms from the water with a slotted spoon (reserve the soaking water). Squeeze the water from the mushrooms, cut off and discard the stems and thinly slice the caps. Mix the sliced mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon each salt, sugar, cornstarch, light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine in a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon neutral oil and mix until combined. Mix the mushroom soaking liquid with the oyster sauce mixture until combined.
• Pour enough neutral oil into a wok (about 5 cups for a 14-inch wok) so it comes 2 inches up the sides but not above halfway up the wok. (See Cook's Note.) Heat over high heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• As the oil is heating up, loosen the noodles again just before frying by using chop sticks to separate and fluff them. Transfer one cooled noodle nest into a large spider, slowly and carefully lower it into the hot oil (step away from the wok as the oil may splatter for the first few seconds). Fry for 5 minutes. Flip the noodles using the spider and chopsticks, push any noodles back that are sticking out to keep the shape, and fry until the edges of the nest are crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the crispy noodles to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe off as much oil as possible; the nest will crisp more as it sits.
• Repeat with the remaining nest of noodles, adding more oil to the wok if necessary to make sure the noodles are completely submerged. Drain on another paper towel-lined plate. Carefully discard the oil.
• Heat the wok over high heat until smoking. Pour in 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl it around the wok to coat the surface. Spread the chicken in an even layer and fry undisturbed until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Toss and stir-fry until the chicken is opaque, about 1 minute. Add the shiitake mushrooms and chopped garlic; stir fry for 1 minute. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine around the sides of the wok and stir fry until the wok is dry again, about 30 seconds.
• Add the oyster sauce mixture, carrots, bok choy and scallions. Bring to boil, slowly drizzle in half the cornstarch slurry and mix until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add more if needed.
• Transfer the noodle nests to plates or platters and pour the sauce into the middle of the crispy noodles. Serve hot.

WARR-SHU-GAI ALMOND BONELESS CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare sauce: In a small saucepan, stir together cornstarch and water until smooth.
• Gradually stir in chicken broth, mushrooms (if desired), butter, soy sauce and bouillon granules.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Let boil 1 minute. Keep warm.
• Prepare batter: Beat together cornstarch, flour, baking powder, egg and water until smooth.
• Coat each piece of chicken with batter.
• Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet or wok to the depth of 1/2 inch; heat to 375 degrees.
• Cook coated chicken pieces in oil, turning once, until golden -- 5 to 7 minutes.
• Drain on pa per towels.
• Cut chicken diagonally into strips.
• Reassemble strips in chicken breast shapes and place on a bed of shredded lettuce. Sprinkle with almonds and green onion.
• Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.
• Makes four to six servings.
• It's been some time since I last made this, but I recall that the batter seemed not quite the same, but the rest is authentic. This can also be made with duck, in which case it becomes Warr Shu Opp.

CANTONESE FRIED RICE

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet or wok; sauté onion over medium-high heat for 2 minutes; add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
• Push onions and garlic to side; pour eggs onto bottom of wok; cook and stir eggs for 1-2 minutes until firm; stir onions, garlic, and eggs together.
• Add meat, rice, green onions, and any additional veggies from optional list** below to wok; stir and toss until evenly mixed and almost heated through.
• Add bean sprouts and soy sauce to wok; stir until heated through; serve (or put away for later meal) and enjoy!
• For variety you may add (at same time as meat) any of the following **optional veggies: Sliced mushrooms, sliced water chestnuts, thinly sliced celery, snow peas, (thawed) peas & carrots, chopped green pepper, finely shredded cabbage, or slivered almonds ~ Just don't be afraid to experiment and use whatever's in your refrigerator!
• Note: Including 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil with the vegetable oil gives the rice a really wonderful flavor!

CANTONESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Arrange chicken in dish just big enough to hold 2 breasts flat.
• Mix remaining ingredients well.
• Spoon over chicken, cover and marinate in fridge at least 1 hour.
• Turn chicken over and marinate at least 1 more hour.
• Bake, covered at 375* for 20 minutes.
• Baste chicken and bake uncovered for about 20 more minutes or until tender.

CHINESE CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash the chicken inside and out and dry with paper towels. Stuff the ginger, green onion and 1 teaspoon of salt inside the chicken and turn chicken over on it back and brush with Shao Hsing wine season with half of the salt and turn over breast side up and repeat this step. Place the chicken on a round dish and let stand for an hour.
• In a large stockpot add in the chicken and fill with water and place over a high heat and bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes and cover and turn off the heat. Do not open the cover for the next 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and place into an ice water bath to cool the chicken for an hour and pat dry with paper towel inside and out.
• When the chicken is cool place onto a cutting broad with a clever slice the chicken in half.
• In a large wok add oil and heat to 350° and with care place into one half of the chicken and deep fry to a golden brown and place onto a rack and repeat this step. Let the chicken set for 15 minutes and then cut up the chicken Chinese style and place the chicken pieces on a serving platter and top with green onion and parsley. Serve with pepper salt in a small dish on the side.
• Place salt, peppercorns and white pepper in wok over medium heat, swirling wok for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool.

CANTONESE CHOW MEIN

Steps:

• Immerse egg noodles into boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove and set aside.
• Heat your wok at high heat, keep it dry. Add 5 tbsp oil and coat the wok evenly with oil.
• Fry the noodles for about 2 minutes, and keep shaking it back and forth, until the noodles turn golden brown. Flip and repeat.
• The outer noodles should be golden, inner ones are soft. Remove noodles and arrange in center of a plate.
• Blanch the vegetables in boiling water (30 seconds). You can arrange the bok choy in a circle around the noodles if you like.
• Put some oil and fry minced garlic in the work, then add the blanched vegetables and stir fry. Add the meat ingredients, 1 tbsp water, cover the wok and steam for 1 - 2 minutes.
• Add the flavouring ingredients, the water with corn starch, and fry gently. Add a bit more water if you want more sauce.
• Pour the veggies and meat over the noodles.
• Note #1: Char xiu (Honey BBQ pork) is available in Chinatown or a good Chinese grocery store, as well as baby boy choy (also known as Shanghai bok choy).
• Note #2: Ideally you should use a large non-stick wok for frying noodles. Traditionally, Chinese people use a carbon steel wok, which is baked in the oven after purchase, and then rubbed with oil after washing each time to protect it. It turns black over time, and is pretty much non-stick. You could also use a non-stick pan, but non-stick coatings are poisonous and will accumulate in your body. Non-stick pans should generally be only used with medium or low heat. If you like them, get a professional grade non-stick pan for high heat cooking, it feels like ceramic.
• Note #3: I often add a dash of rice wine (sake) to the meat and vegetables. It just gives it a little extra flavour and isn't salty like most cooking wines.