SESAME CHICKEN

SESAME CHICKEN

2 Tablespoons AP flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tablespoon dry sherry or Chinese rice wine

2 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 dash sesame oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat, cubed

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon chile paste

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup water

Vegetable oil for frying

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sift flour, 2 T cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl.  Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, sherry, 2 T water, vegetable oil, and a dash of sesame oil; stir until smooth.  Stir in chicken until coated with the batter, then cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.  Dissolve ¼ cup cornstarch into ½ cup of water, and stir into boiling sauce.  Simmer until the sauce thickens and turns clear, about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and keep sauce warm.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to a temperature of 375°F.  Drop in the battered chicken pieces, a few at a time, and fry until they turn golden brown and float to the top of the oil, 3 to 4 minutes.  

Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  

To serve, place fried chicken pieces onto a serving platter, and pour the hot sauce over the top.  

Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 6 

CHAR SIU PORK AND LO MEIN

This is a beloved family favorite that I've been making for thirty years.  The pages of the cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Chinese) are stained yellow from oil splattering on it literally hundreds of times.  This is a very simple dish, and all of the children, and now the grandchildren, love it.  I've doubled the recipe, because you can never have too much, and if it should happen to be leftover, it's even better the next day.

CHINATOWN DELI CHAR SIU (BBQ PORK)

Marinade:

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup honey

2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 Tablespoon sesame paste or mashed white fermented bean curd

    (even though they say not to, I often use tahini)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice

2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, trimmed of excess fat and cut into pieces, roughly 1 inch thick, 3 inches wide, and 8 inches long.

Marinate the pork:  Stir the marinade ingredients together in a bowl.  Place the pork in a large resealable plastic bag, pour the marinade into the bag, and seal the bag.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the pork from the marinade, reserve the marinade.  Place the pork on a rack set in a foil-lined baking pan.  Bake, uncovered, brushing occasionally with the reserved marinade, for 30 minutes.  Turn the pieces of pork over and bake, brushing occasionally with the reserved marinade, until cooked through and tender, about 45 minutes more.

Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before cutting into thin slices.  Serve hot or cold.

PORK LO MEIN

16 oz. fresh Chinese egg noodles or fine egg noodles

1 lb. Chinatown Deli Char Siu (BBQ pork)

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

6 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

6 Tablespoons oyster sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

4 Tablespoons canola oil

Cook noodles in a large amount of boiling salted water until tender; drain.  Rinse with cold water.  Drain noodles well and set aside.

Thinly slice pork into bite sized strips.  Set aside.

Don't be alarmed by the fat...it will cook away later.  

Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.

Preheat a wok over high heat; 2 Tablespoons cooking oil.  Stir-fry the scallions and garlic in hot oil for 1 minute.  Remove scallions.  Stir fry mushrooms until they begin to brown, then remove from the work.

Add more oil, if necessary.  Add half of the pork to the wok; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove pork.  Stir-fry the remaining pork for 2 to 3 minutes.  Return all pork to wok.

Add the cooked noodles, mushrooms, scallions, and oyster sauce mixture to the pork in the wok.  

Using two spatulas or mixing spoons, lightly toss the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes or until noodles are heated through.

Serves 8 to 10.