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Stir - Fried Chicken With Fresh Mushrooms
(Mo - Ku - Chi - Pien)
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| What You Need: |
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2 whole chicken breasts, about ¾ pound each
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 egg white
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, or pale dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt
¼ pound fresh snow peas (frozen, thoroughly defrosted snow peas will do, but they will not have the crispness of the fresh ones)
4 tablespoons peanut oil, or flavorless vegetable oil
¼ pound fresh mushrooms, about 1 inch in diameter, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 slices peeled fresh ginger root, about 1 inch in diameter and 1/8 inch thick
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold chicken stock or water
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| How To Cook: |
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PREPARE AHEAD:
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1. One at a time, skin, bone and slice the chicken breasts in the following fashion: Lay the whole unsplit chicken breast on its side on a chopping board.
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2. Holding the breast firmly in place with your hand, cut it lengthwise through the skin along the curved breastbone with a cleaver or sharp knife.
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3. Carefully free the meat from the bones with the cleaver. Then grasp the meat in one hand, and pull it off the bones and away from the skin-using the cleaver to free the meat if necessary.
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4. Turn the breast over and repeat on the other side. Remove each tube shaped fillet from the boned breast meat, and pull out and discard the tendon in each fillet.
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5. Lay the breast meat and fillets flat, and cut them into paper-thin slices. Then cut the slices into pieces about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.
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6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken and cornstarch, and toss them about with a spoon until each piece is lightly coated. Add the egg white, wine and salt, and stir them with the chicken until they are thoroughly mixed together.
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7. Snap off the tips of the fresh snow peas and, with a small, sharp knife, string the pea pods.
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8. Have the chicken, snow peas, oil, ginger, mushrooms and the cornstarch mixture within easy reach.
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TO COOK:
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1. Set a 12-inch wok or 10-inch skillet over high heat for about 30 seconds. Pour in 1 tablespoon of oil, swirl it about in the pan and heat for another 30 seconds, turning the heat down to moderate if the oil begins to smoke.
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2. Add the mushrooms, snow peas and ½ teaspoon of salt, and stir-fry over moderate heat for about 2 minutes. With a long spoon, transfer the vegetables to a platter and set aside.
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3. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and let it heat for 30 seconds. Drop in the ginger slices, cook for about 30 seconds, then remove and discard them.
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4. Immediately, add the chicken and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, or until the pieces are firm and white. Return the reserved cooked vegetables to the pan.
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5. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir to recombine it, add it to the pan and cook, stirring constantly for a few seconds, until the ingredients are coated with a light, clear glaze. Transfer the entire contents of the pan to a heated platter and serve at once
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