“Polynesian” Chicken

“Polynesian” Chicken

Poultry
Chinese, Main Dish

Serves 4

This has nothing to do with Polynesia — it originated in an American Chinese restaurant. I like it because it’s mostly vegetables (julienned into a crunchy, colorful stir-fry in a simple Chinese brown sauce), but it includes the richness and crunch of deep-fried chicken.

Don’t be daunted by the length of the ingredient list — this requires a little knife-work, but comes together quickly and easily. Read the recipe beforehand, and prep everything before you turn on a burner.

And of course, you can vary the stir-fry to suit your tastes. Serve family-style on a nice big platter.

Ingredients #

  • For the chicken: #

    • 1 boneless chicken breast or 2 chicken breast cutlets (thin)
    • 1/8 tsp white pepper
    • 1/8 tsp onion powder
    • 1/8 tsp garlic powder

  • For the batter: #

    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 1/4 tsp baking powder
    • 1/8 tsp salt
    • 1/8 tsp paprika
    • 1/8 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 cold club soda

  • For the rest: #

    • Oil for frying
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
    • 1/4 cup bamboo shoots, julienned
    • 1 jalapeño or Fresno chili, julienned
    • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, julienned
    • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
    • 4 cups napa cabbage, shredded
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 tsp oyster sauce
    • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
    • 1 tbsp Sriracha
    • White pepper to taste
    • 1 cup snow peas, ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
    • 3/4 cup hot chicken stock
    • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
    • White rice to serve

Instructions #

If using a whole breast, split carefully into two thinner pieces that are roughly the same size. Sprinkle with salt, white pepper, onion powder and garlic powder on both sides of the meat, and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauces, salt, sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, vinegar, sriracha, and white pepper.

Combine all the batter ingredients in a bowl. Do not overmix.

Heat the frying oil in a small wok or cast-iron skillet until it’s 350F.

Dip both of the chicken pieces into the batter and fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side, turning often. Remove to a wire rack and set aside.

Heat your wok over high heat, and add 1 tbsp of the frying oil to your wok. Add the garlic, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and red bell pepper, and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add in the Shaoxing wine and the napa cabbage. Continue to stir-fry for 30 seconds, and stir in the soy sauces mixture.

Next, add the snow peas and give everything a quick stir. Add the hot chicken stock. Let the sauce come to a boil, and add the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds until the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon.

Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large plate. Slice the chicken into 1"-wide pieces and place on top of the vegetables. Serve immediate with rice.