Hong Kong Style Chicken Food

HONG KONG-STYLE SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Steps:

• First make the sweet and sour sauce by combining the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, chicken stock and corn flour in a small saucepan over a low heat. When all the ingredients have come together to form a smooth sauce, remove from the heat and set aside.
• Heat the oil in the wok on a high heat.
• Dip the chicken pieces in the egg then dredge in the cornflour.
• Fry the battered chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes or until crisp and light brown. Remove the meat from the wok and drain. You might need to do this in batches.
• Heat 30ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil in a clean wok, then fry the pineapple, onion and peppers for 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken and sauce, stir and let the mixture bubble until it's thickened.
• Serve immediately with steamed rice.

HONG KONG STYLE NOODLES WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• In a re-sealable plastic bag add, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili garlic paste, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and mix thoroughly, then add chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
• In a medium stock pot boil water and cook chow mein noodles until al dente, remove and shock in ice bath, shake dry and toss with 2 tablespoons oil to keep from sticking.
• In a large saute pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil to almost smoke point and add chicken, separating each peace upon entry. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove and hold warm.
• In same wok, add 2 tablespoons oil. Heat until almost the smoke point, then add the onions, bell peppers, carrots and celery., Saute for 2 minutes then add mushrooms, peas and bean sprouts. Cook for 1 minute, then add chicken saute for 1 minute, add hoisin, 3 tablespoons soy sauce and sesame oil, toss and remove.
• Heat a 12-inch nonstick saute pan, add 3 tablespoons oil, heat to almost smoke point, and add chilled chow mein noodles. Cook on one side until crispy light golden brown. Flip noodles and another 2 tablespoons of oil and cook other side. When done, remove and let drain on paper towels, while holding warm.
• Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and chicken stock, and deglaze hot wok with mixture and let reduce by one-third.
• Place noodles on a rimmed serving platter, top with chicken and vegetable saute, and pour chicken reduction over top. Garnish with green onions.

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN HONG KONG STYLE

Steps:

• For the chicken, combine the sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce and egg in a small bowl. Place the chicken in a large bowl and massage the marinade well into the meat. Mix the batter ingredients and 4 tablespoons of cold water together in a bowl and massage all around the meat. The batter should have quite a sticky consistency.
• For the stir fry, lay out the prepared ingredients in order, excluding the vegetable oil and coriander. These will need to be added to the wok in quick succession so it's important to have them at hand.
• To make the sauce, place all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and mix well together.
• Half-fill a wok with vegetable oil and heat to 180C. Alternatively, use a wooden skewer or wooden chopstick to test the oil by placing the tip of the wood in the oil - if the wood starts to fizz after a second or so, the oil is at roughly 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Carefully place the battered chicken pieces, one by one, into the hot oil so that the pieces do not stick together. Do not overload the wok with chicken - if you need to fry the meat in two batches, it is best to do so in order to retain the heat in the oil and keep each piece nice and crispy.
• Cook the chicken pieces for at least 4-5 minutes, until they are floating at the top of the oil, golden brown and crispy. Transfer with a slotted spoon to drain on kitchen paper for 2-3 minutes. To get the chicken pieces extra crispy, fry all the chicken pieces a second time in the heated wok for a further minute before draining again.
• Heat some oil in a clean wok and stir-fry the red onion and peppers, followed by the ginger, garlic, spring onion and pineapple. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes and then bring the wok to a smoking point before pouring in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a vigorous boil and reduce down to a syrup consistency. Once the sauce starts to thicken, place the fried chicken pieces in the wok and toss through the sauce. Garnish with coriander, spring onions and sesame seeds and serve.

HONG KONG-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons ginger, scallions, garlic, salt, sugar, 1 cup grapeseed oil, 1/4 cup Shao Xing, and 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
• Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour over mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and roast 8 minutes; set aside.
• Heat a wok over high heat; add 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil. Add remaining 2 tablespoons ginger and chiles; cook until golden brown, 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and bamboo shoots, stirring constantly, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup Shao Xing and let reduce until thickened, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and soy sauce; bring to a boil. In a small bowl whisk together remaining tablespoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water, add to wok and stir until mixture has thickened. Season with basil and remove from heat.
• Slice chicken and divide evenly between 4 plates. Pour over sauce; serve immediately.

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.

HONG KONG STYLE CHICKEN CHOW MEIN

Steps:

• Mix 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce, 1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce, 1 tsp Sherry and 1 tsp water in a bowl. Marinate chicken in it for approximately 1/2 hour.
• Mix 10 fl oz Chicken Broth, 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce and 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce. Set aside.
• Put the steam fried noodles in a pot of slightly salted boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook. When cooked pour into a colander and let drain and dry.
• Heat the wok and add the 4 Tbsp of Cooking Oil,swirling to coat the sides. Add the steam fried noodles and fry until about half the noodles are browned and crispy. Place noodles on an oven-friendly plate and place in the oven at minimum temperature to keep warm.
• Add the 2 Tbsp of Oil to the wok. When Oil starts to smoke add the Green Onions, ginger and garlic for a few seconds until it starts to soften. then add the bean sprouts and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the marinated chicken and fry for 3 minutes. Add the Chicken broth mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is done. Mix the corn starch with the water and stir into mix. If gravy does not thicken to your desire add more cornstarch.
• Pour over the crispy noodles and serve.